Right Partner
by mermaidstear
Summary: Sequel to Your Equal. Charlotte has spent months becoming a field agent, gaining new abilities, and is finally being trusted with missions. But when Thor asks for her help at Loki's trial, she is put in a bad situation and when Thanos threatens both Asgard and Earth, what will she and the Avengers do? Loki/OC/Steve
1. Chapter 1

**Three Months Later**

I woke up to hearing how completely obnoxious classic rock could be. At this point, I bet even Jarvis was tired of playing AC/DC. I moaned loudly and covered my face with a bright red pillow. Did every bedroom need to shove the Iron Man colors down my throat? I heard the door creak open and I moaned again. "It's too early, leave me alone," I muttered. I felt pressure beside me on the bed before the pillow was ripped away from me. Normally, I wouldn't suffer defeat like that but technically, I was a guest in Stark Tower.

"Hey, it's not my fault that you didn't hear your alarm this morning," said Tony. I narrowed my eyes at him. I _never_ overslept.

"You can't possibly be serious," I said back, my voice cracking from being tired.

"See for yourself." I turned slowly and eyed my Thor-themed alarm clock. It was an old fashioned alarm but a small Mjolnir hit the bells and Thor's face was the background to the clock. I had bought plenty of Avengers merchandise since Fury had given the go-ahead to outlets to produce them. I owned a Captain America toothbrush, Iron Man slippers, a Black Widow belt, a Hawkeye bow, a Hulk action figure that said, "Hulk Smash!" every time you pressed a button, and the aforementioned clock. Noticeably, there was nothing my face was on.

I pushed myself out of bed and shooed Tony out of the room once I realized that he had been right and I had overslept. After I dressed in shorts and some loose floral tank top, I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth. My hair was grazing my shoulders now; it had always seemed to take too long to grow but I'd been keeping it short out of necessity in training. Clint was certain that long hair would be the death of me but eventually, I no longer cared. Natasha had worked with long hair before and it wasn't likely that I was going to be trusted with some huge event any time soon.

My back popped when I straightened out my posture and I groaned before stretching my arms high above me and then touching my toes. Skills training was incredibly brutal and I certainly hadn't been built for it. Bruises covered both of my hips, most of my back and my legs, and my lips had been busted more than a few times. Tony had filled a tub with an ice bath at least once every week. I couldn't keep my nails as long as I usually liked to and my ankles weren't fond of high heels because they'd been twisted to near extremity. Sometimes I wished I'd magically get a superpower and this training would stop.

I pushed my bangs out of my face forcefully and stepped into some flip flops before grabbing my weapon belt. Tony had crafted a few new things for S.H.I.E.L.D., my tool belt being only one of them. The belt hung around my hips and was tight enough not to slide but I could barely notice it being there otherwise. It was designed to hold a couple of handguns for me and my now signature throwing knives. Given different scenarios, the belt could hold any number of things I might need, including backup supplies.

I tossed it on the counter when I arrived in the converted kitchen. It was partially a living room as well. I grimaced as I stared at part of the floor in the living room. This area was what had been torn apart during the last battle with the Chitauri and the place in the floor I was staring at was where we had found Loki after the Hulk had basically butchered him. The balcony's fence had recently been finished but the name was still only, appropriately, an A. Thor and Loki had seen to it that the rest of the letters of "Stark" had been removed.

"Charlotte, you know how Pepper feels about you putting your weapons on the table," said Tony. I rolled my eyes and turned to simply stare at him. "She's here, you know that right?"

"Believe me, I know she's here," I responded. In fact, it was entirely possible that the whole building and all of Tony's employees knew that she'd been here last night. That kind of noise was hard to keep down and it only frustrated me more.

"I saw you staring over there. Doesn't the floor look fantastic? To be honest, I'm surprised Bruce didn't leave a hole there. Thank God, it was reparable." I heard Tony opening cabinets behind me so I moved my belt and placed it on the floor.

"She's gonna have to get over this with the weapons," I said, as Tony slid me a PopTart across the counter. I took a seat at one of the bar stools and bit into it solemnly. PopTarts never failed to remind me of Thor. I was certain that was the only reason Tony had Pepper buy them.

"You need to learn the difference between work and pleasure."

"I just can't believe I overslept. That's the first time I've done it since I've been assigned."

"As I recall, you didn't really ever sleep." I turned at the sound of Bruce's voice. He was right, of course. Besides, my being up all night usually helped Bruce with his experiments. If he needed a human guinea pig, I was always up for it.

"Take a look in the mirror," I responded. Bruce only shrugged. When he wasn't around Tony and I wasn't working out, this connected condo or apartment or whatever convoluted term Tony wanted to call it, was just a depressing place to be in.

"Oh shit, I forgot to tell you," said Tony, "it doesn't matter that you overslept. Clint got called out this morning. Something about some back alley terrorist that needed to be sniped down in Washington DC." I solemnly nodded. I had forgotten about that, even if Clint had told me. Natasha had left a couple of days ago for some super-secret Black Ops mission or something along those lines. Neither of them was ever clear on what exactly they were doing. "But you had promised Jane and Darcy a lunch date. I answered your phone when Darcy called you for the fifth time. She said she'll text you where to meet so that Happy can take you."

"Does Happy driving me have anything to do with the reporters?" Bruce quickly sat down beside me. He couldn't even pretend that he wasn't interested in the next few minutes of conversation.

The paparazzi loved to try to get pictures of us doing anything, even menially eating in a diner on Park Avenue. With the newfound love for the Avengers, the public had originally taken to us. Tony and Bruce were on the covers of magazines (nothing new for Tony), people speculated on Clint and Natasha's relationship, but the press had no real love for me. I had consistently and vehemently denied being a member of the Avengers and when they wanted to treat me as such, I didn't react pleasantly. All in all, I was just trying to tell them that I didn't deserve that honor and I constantly had to remind them that I was a normal person. I wasn't a super-spy like Natasha or an expert marksman like Clint. I was an average, everyday woman who had been put into an incredible situation. I didn't like being in the public eye, especially once my training increased. The field agent training put it in my head that everyone was out to get me and I couldn't trust anyone; not that I would've trusted the press to begin with. Whatever the case, the reporters began to feel my animosity over them invading my privacy. They had gone so far as to interrogate former teachers I'd had in high school to find things out about me. My mom couldn't even go to the grocery store in Savannah which was, in and of itself, an entirely different animal that I didn't want to deal with. My family wasn't even supposed to know the name of the company I worked for. I had given up ties with my hometown, even closing off relationships with close friends so that I could work with S.H.I.E.L.D. I had been handpicked for that job and they took their security seriously. Now that had been blown to hell. I had known there would be serious consequences for my real name being given out; I just hadn't realized that this was what I was going to deal with.

Beyond that, I was the only person of the Avengers Initiative that seemed to be going out anymore. Clint and Natasha lived in headquarters; little did I know at the time that they were the ones who had made the smart decision. Bruce was always holed up in the top floors of Stark Tower, trying to mess around in the labs. Tony didn't care about the publicity because he was used to it. But every day, I walked to headquarters to train, I'd go get something to eat, I'd go into a shop. It didn't matter where I was, the photographers found me and they were rarely kind anymore.

After the initial joy of Earth being saved by the Avengers, the public had started looking at them, and myself, differently. Tony had called it because it had happened to him before. We started experiencing backlash. Many of the world's officials wanted Loki to answer for war crimes and we'd sent him back to Asgard before anything like that could happen; a smart move on the part of S.H.I.E.L.D. Then of course, there was the question of where the heavy hitters of the Avengers had gone off to. Aside from Tony, none of them were really even around. Bruce basically lived in the labs and it's not like he would've been recognized on face value. Thor was in Asgard and Steve had been on various missions over the past three months. I hadn't seen him once in that period of time and clearly, whatever he was doing wasn't high profile. Aside from the four of them, the public wasn't very curious. None of the rest of us had superpowers and I used every bit of air time I got to explain that I wasn't a member of the team and didn't deserve to be. No matter the case, the reporters rarely left me alone and I had long ago given up on trying putting up with their bullshit.

"I don't wanna have this argument any more than you do, Charlotte, but face it, if you were nicer to them, maybe they'd be more inclined to leave you alone," Tony said. I rolled my eyes.

"You don't actually believe that, do you?" I responded. "How am I supposed to respond when they start interrogating me about where Thor and Steve are? How am I supposed to just sit back and take it that they're involving my family in this?"

"Because you're a celebrity now and this is what happens to celebrities."

"They all hate me and I don't care that they do so they think that gives them some sort of right to invade my privacy and I'm sick of it." I finished off my PopTart and Bruce stared between Tony and me, as if he was wondering whether I'd throw myself over the counter to choke him. Bruce seemed to think since I'd started training, that I had some newfound anger problems and that he should be on the lookout for when I'd snap.

"I'm just saying that you could _try _to be a little more courteous." I made a face. "Don't, you know I'm right. Who am I kidding? I'm always right!" Tony turned to get something from one of the cabinets and I got down off my bar stool. I could do a little target practice before Happy would take me to see Jane and Darcy.

"Hey, Charlotte." I turned back when I heard Bruce. "I finished analyzing Loki's blade last night. I couldn't find anything that was extremely out of the ordinary but that has more to do with the design than anything. The metal is out of this world, to be honest. It's light as a feather but incredibly sharp. It hasn't dulled in all this time so be careful with it." Bruce handed over Loki's throwing knife that he'd stabbed Thor with on the balcony during the last fight. Apparently, Thor had dropped it on the balcony floor before he flew off to my rescue. Bruce had found it before the repairs had officially begun and he'd started analyzing it without telling S.H.I.E.L.D. He had promised me early on that he'd give it to me once all of his tests had been run and came back. He wasn't sure whether the blade retained any of Loki's original magic and before handing it over to me, he wanted to be sure that it was safe.

"So you really didn't find anything at all?" I asked, my voice sounding tired. Nowadays, it always did.

Bruce shook his head. "I didn't exactly expect to since Loki stabbed Thor in a heat of the moment ordeal. He didn't even throw the thing. But I had wanted to get some more information on Asgardian metal but neither this nor the spear has offered anything up."

"I doubted the spear was Asgardian anyway but God, am I glad that you gave up studying it. Having that thing in the building was almost too tempting for me to handle." Ever since I had visited Loki in his holding room before he and Thor left, the scepter had been having strange effects on me. Whether I was at headquarters or when it was in Stark Tower, the thing had started trying to draw me towards it. Tony said he hadn't felt any temptation but Bruce had. I'd been up in the middle of the night a month ago and I saw Bruce standing in the hallway holding it and looking at it like he'd never seen anything more beautiful.

"Personally, I think we should've given it to Thor to take back too." My hand gripped the edge of the counter. I really missed Thor a lot. It was a pretty consuming feeling and I was depressed about it most all of the time. Loki wasn't here; he was probably being tortured wherever he was. Thor was being a prince. I hadn't seen Steve or even really heard from him in months. But I refused to talk about any of it. Fury and Coulson had been right. My emotions couldn't get in the way of my training.

"Well, thanks for giving it to me and not to them." I flipped the blade over in my hand. The weight was nice and perfect for a throwing knife. I might have to have mine modeled like this one. I stuck it into my belt before locking the belt around me. Tony had a dart board on the other side of the room that let me practice and watch TV at the same time. I couldn't state enough how much of a luxury that was. The dart board may not be the human shaped targets over at S.H.I.E.L.D. but there was a TV.

"They have their hands full enough already," said Bruce. I nodded when I moved to position myself at the wall opposite my target.

"The day they realize that, hell will freeze over," said Tony. "By the way, Charlotte, Coulson wanted me to tell you that he's got an assignment for you… and you are not turning it down." I rolled my eyes for what was possibly the fifth time in an hour as I pulled out one of my knives. This one was nifty because both ends of it were curved. It wouldn't hurt that much on single impact but pulling the thing out would be a bitch.

"And if I say no?" I asked, angling my arm behind me and hurtling the knife across the room. I barely looked at the center of the target anymore. Clint always stressed that I should be prepared to hit anything, even things I couldn't see.

"I already told you that you can't. We're all getting sick of you moping around and acting like you're doing training for training's sake." The metal ending of my thrown knife curled out of the red center of the dart board.

"Who says I'm moping around? And if I remember correctly, I asked Clint to help me out, not to run and tell Fury so that I could be upgraded to field agent. I'm not good enough for that and they all know it. So yes, I am training for training's sake right now. I need to be stronger for whatever comes next." It was Tony's turn to roll his eyes. I threw another knife, this one with a baby hilt for me to grab onto.

"Do not start with that alien invasion crap right now. How many times do we have to say it? Thanos isn't a threat! And yes, you are moping around. You drink half as much as I do!"

"That's saying something," muttered Bruce. I stifled a laugh as I grabbed another blade.

"Did Coulson put you up to this?" I asked. Tony made an audible noise. There was my answer.

"I'm not saying he didn't but that doesn't mean this doesn't need to be said. We get it, you miss Steve and all of his unadulterated patriotism. You miss Thor and his love of PopTarts. You even miss that disgusting asshole who almost took over this planet. But it's been three months and you need to get it together. You've turned into a fun-sucker. Coulson has been ready for you to take on assignments since a few weeks ago. He said you've been turning them down." My hand hesitated before I threw another knife. Tony wasn't wrong and maybe he was saying what Coulson had told him to but he was right. Even though I didn't make it apparent that I was having a rough time, clearly it was something everyone could sense. Maybe that was why Bruce thought I might snap at any moment.

"I don't miss them all the time, alright? And I'm not saying yes to a mission unless I think I'm qualified. I just don't have the skill set they need yet." It wasn't a total lie. I truly wasn't ready but that had more to do with my mindset than my physicality. I knew I wasn't ever going to possess an immense amount of strength so I let myself still remain delicate in that regard. But the throwing knives had been a better success than I ever would've dreamed. Clint started me on them after realizing what a good shot I was. He didn't want to limit me to only sniper rifles and handguns; anyone who was a good shot could use guns. Fury had told him that I needed something unique. Natasha had her Widow's Bites, which were basically tasers attached to her wrists and Clint had specialty arrows when even just being an archer was unusual. After I'd excelled at the archery Clint put me through, he'd handed me throwing knives. Even though he didn't want to admit it, I knew he'd found some things out about Loki from Erik Selvig. The fact that Loki was good with throwing knives was no secret to me but the two of us had always been good at mimicking each other. I figured it was worth a shot and did well with them, even with all the resulting scars on my hands. Now I had a specialty weapon. But the mindset was where I was failing. My emotions were still somewhat creeping into my brain. It was why I had a hard time sleeping and consumed most of my waking hours with training.

"Of course you do. You're basically a full-fledged Avenger now. Coulson even said as much."

"Yeah, right. He's gonna tell me something like that so he can make me do some weird mission that I don't wanna do." I wasn't letting it show but that was a pretty great compliment. Fury and Coulson had been watching me train recently so maybe they were finally sure of my abilities. Maybe they thought I'd be a great addition to the team. Dammit, I needed to focus. Being an Avenger had never been my dream so I needed to stop being flattered by being called one.

I had moved to my last knife, which happened to be the one Loki had used. It was by far the nicest looking and the dynamic of holding it was perfect. It was everything I'd searched for when I looked for a fit for myself. Throwing knives were usually built to be extremely personal weapons. This blade fit me more than any of my own did.

"Well, I certainly doubt that he'd ask you to do something as important as bringing in an agent if he didn't think you were qualified," said Tony. I raised my eyebrows. Bringing in an agent?

"I'm not saying I'll do it but I'll talk to him about it if it would so appease you," I said, sounding sarcastic.

"That's another thing, you've been stealing my thunder as the sassy asshole lately."

"Hey, Bruce and I have just bonded over our dry and depressing humor." Tony rolled his eyes. I heard the clacking of heels down the hallway and knew that it was Pepper. I hurriedly grabbed all of my knives and stuck them back in their respective places in the belt. Another thing that was really great about them was that they could be secured to my wrist when I was wearing my jumpsuit and they would be at the ready.

Pepper entered the room, efficient as always, carrying Tony's iPad, his laptop, and his phone. "You've got several calls to make in the next hour and I suggest you get a head start," she said, putting everything on the counter before turning to Bruce and me. Tony looked majorly disappointed at what was on the screen of the iPad and reached for his phone reluctantly. "Good morning, Charlotte. Did Clint cancel on you today?" I liked that Pepper feigned interest in my life but I knew she was only doing it because she thought of me much in the same way Bruce did: someone to be handled with the utmost care.

"As a matter of fact, he did. I'm having lunch with Jane Foster and Darcy Lewis, though." Pepper's face scrunched as she struggled to remember their names; given that Tony had barely dealt with Jane before and had never been face-to-face with Darcy, I didn't find it surprising that Pepper didn't know who they were. "And would you look at the time? I'd better be leaving!" I had raised my arm to look at my watch and I headed out of the converted apartment with my purse before another word could be said.

I was rather fond of Pepper, simply because she knew when and how to put Tony in his place and that was never not entertaining. But she was clearly hesitant to be around Bruce and I a lot of the time. She thought of both of us as some kind of ticking time bombs but that didn't mean that she didn't also put us in our place when it was called for (and sometimes when it wasn't).

I clutched the handles of my huge purse that I still lugged around. The thing was nothing if not efficient. It had everything I could ever want or need inside it, including a handgun and a couple of my knives in small sheathes. I had the one of Loki's in my bag for no other reason than that it was the sharpest. I didn't want to think that it was for any other reason. At any rate, I didn't plan on telling anyone that I felt like I should keep it close. I felt like deep down it still retained some form of Loki's magic, even if Bruce couldn't confirm it.

The elevator seemed to take it's sweet time on going down and I checked my phone to see the address Darcy had texted me. I was ravenous and seeing the two of them generally always put me in a better mood, even if they asked the personal questions I liked to avoid. But that was actually a good thing about them; Darcy certainly wasn't scared of setting me off and Jane didn't think I needed to sacrifice my feelings in order to do my job. Besides, Jane and I had quite a bit in common at this stage. People we cared about were off in another dimension (or just across the world) doing God knows what.

I quickly got in the backseat of an ambiguous black car waiting in front of Stark Tower. Happy turned in his seat and gave me a grin. I slyly returned it before giving him the address. Thankfully, it wasn't far away and Happy decided that today wasn't the day to have a heart-to-heart with me.

When I crawled out of the backseat, I tilted my head to the ground to avoid any unwanted attention and opened the door to the diner before I could convince myself that I actually didn't want to see anyone. Usually, I preferred my own company. It was a good thing during training at any rate.

I spotted Jane and Darcy who were already at table. I openly groaned when I saw that it was by the window. At this point, they should know that sitting near the window was a bad idea where I was concerned. The reporters would bang on it until the point where I was kicked out of the restaurant. I really wished I hadn't been caught on film.

Darcy was already grinning when she saw me and Jane sheepishly smiled. When I sat across from them, she started apologizing for the table fiasco. "Honestly, I asked if anywhere else was available and clearly, now there is but when we got here the place was packed-" I held up my hand to stop her mid-sentence.

"It's fine, Jane. I just had a pep talk from Tony telling me I need to start being nicer to the press anyway," I said. "But Happy drove me so maybe they have no clue I'm here."

"I wouldn't count on that," said Darcy, gesturing with her head for me to look around the diner. Most of the servers were staring at me, including one I recognized from the news. Steve had apparently saved her in the middle of Loki's final attack and she had yet to stop thanking him publicly. I mean, could she be any more obvious? Bitterly, I grimaced when I saw that she was waiting on our table.

I gripped the edge of the menu harshly when she walked up. "Charlotte Kent, what a genuine pleasure it is to have a national hero here! What can I get you and your friends?" The girl seemed chipper so I returned her smile with a sly one of my own and we ordered.

"You actually look evil when you smile, you know that, right?" Darcy asked when our waitress walked away. I scoffed.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I responded.

"You just look like a villain with a plan, that's all I'm saying."

"Darcy," Jane openly scolded. I shook my head.

"I think it's new spy training, to be real. First, they have me not trusting anyone or anything and now they've trained my facial muscles not to give anything away," I said. When Jane looked slightly horrified, I laughed. "I'm not being serious at all… aside from the not trusting thing. That is real."

From there, Darcy dominated the conversation until our food arrived; talking about Poli Sci, working with Jane, and all that jazz. I started chowing down the minute the waitress put my plate in front of me. I noticed that she had on a Captain America button. My normally large eyes narrowed. I stuffed my face doubly fast from then on. "You're eating like Thor," Jane said, laughing. I tried to smile.

I saw a flash out of the corner of my eye and I knew it was some photographer for TMZ or something without looking. I threw them my middle finger while I continued to eat. I genuinely hope they got a shot of that. I'd frame that picture and put it on Tony's mantle. Hell, it could be my Christmas card this year. Darcy was laughing at this point and even polite ol' Jane seemed to be threatening to chuckle.

"You're my hero just because you do badass stuff like that," said Darcy. I shrugged.

"I'm glad someone appreciates my sassy talents," I replied.

"I just don't understand that if they really don't like you, why you're the one they seem the most interested in," said Jane. I shrugged again.

"It's always bothered me but taking pictures of me while I'm eating; I'm sorry but what the hell is that? Is that something that is really gonna sell? They're just a bunch of assholes and I should've refused S.H.I.E.L.D. from the start to do press. It's backfiring." I took another bite. "For right now, they hate me but sooner rather than later, they'll start hating everyone else too." Tony and I knew that for a fact but it still didn't make me any less angry that they harassed me.

Jane looked a little sad and I felt bad that I'd even said anything. The slightest mention of the Avengers made her think about Thor and whenever he would come back. I couldn't count how many times she'd asked me what Thor's exact words were when he left. I wish I had another answer aside from, "He promised he'll come back but he didn't know when." I figured that with Loki's trial, he would be there for an incredibly long amount of time. He wouldn't leave Loki to fend for himself there, especially when we didn't have express need of him on Earth.

I went back to staring at my plate and none of us spoke for a little while until Darcy couldn't take it any longer. "I'm putting the two of you into some anonymous meeting for demigods/superheroes' girlfriends and then you can sulk there," she said. I cracked a smile.

"We'd be the only two members of that fucked up group," I said. Jane started laughing.

"But seriously, you guys are complete Debbie-downers. Please tell me your boyfriends are gonna return soon."

"I missed the memo where I had an actual boyfriend." Jane scoffed.

"Come on, Charlotte. Steve is completely in love with you," she said.

"But if you don't want that fine-ass man, I'll be happy to take him," Darcy said, winking. I made my eyes grow bigger in fake horror.

"How would he handle such a modern woman like you?" I responded, laughing.

"I could teach him some things about the 21st century."

"Oh God, I'll never get that mental image out of my head."

"Me either," said Jane.

"Don't be like that, Jane! I've heard you and Thor!" said Darcy while Jane gasped. I almost spit out my drink.

"Well, there is no possible way that ya'll can compete with Tony and Pepper. I swear, one day Tony is gonna make sex an Olympic sport," I said.

"This whole conversation contains way too much information for me," said Jane, running her fingers through her hair.

"Be glad you don't live with them, that's all I'm saying."

"I've been meaning to ask you, how is living with them going?" Truthfully, Tony, Bruce, and I had been roommates for a little over two months. We had waited a long time for the upper levels of Stark Tower to be livable and workable again before we could move in. Once we did, however, we got on well enough. Tony would go to meetings and have to fly to talk with consultants, Bruce contained himself in the labs, and I was at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters more than I was actually home.

"I like it fine. Tony has made me ice baths more than a few times so I think our friendship is finally at top notch and when I can't sleep, I can help Bruce in the labs. I think all three of us like living together." Bruce and Tony had become best friends since meeting which I assume made Clint jealous initially but then he became close with Bruce and now the three of them were like the musketeers.

"Ice baths? What the hell do you need ice baths for?" said Darcy. I shrugged.

"It keeps a lot of the swelling down when I've had a particularly rough day at the office. I swear, Clint kinda babies me but Natasha won't have any of that." Frankly, though, Clint worked better when he was explaining weapons and hitting targets. Natasha was the professional in hand-to-hand. But neither Darcy nor Jane needed to know the specifics.

"I can't believe you would even remotely agree to do something like that in the first place," said Jane. We had had this argument countless times before, to the point where I could sell her side to myself. She thought being an agent was dangerous, she thought I didn't want anything like that, she thought my strengths lay in words and not knives. All of her points were completely true.

"I have to be able to defend myself, Jane, and if you want me to be frank, I think you and Darcy and even Erik would benefit from some lessons yourselves."

"I am totally there!" exclaimed Darcy. Jane only leaned back in her chair.

"I need some help with the Einstein-Rosen Bridge and I could really use your insight, Charlotte," Jane said. I shook my head at her. She'd been trying to convince me to do that ever since she decided being a field agent wasn't good for me. But I wasn't a scientist. Even if I wanted to help, I couldn't.

"What sort of insight would I have into something like that?" I said. "I don't know anything about wormholes or anything scientific, really, other than the super soldier serum and that's the bare minimum."

"I'm extremely close to discovering how to finish it." She'd been extremely close since I arrived in New Mexico before any of this shit had gone down. It wasn't that I didn't have faith in her; it was that I didn't think the Rainbow Bridge was going to work from a human standpoint. We didn't have a gatekeeper or anything remotely close to understanding how the thing worked.

"I thought Thor had said they were close to finishing a new Bifrost. Will you figuring this out be needed if that happens?" She sat there, pondering for a second.

"Well, we don't know for a fact that it's close to being finished or whether they've even started on it. Thor didn't talk to me about that stuff the last time he was here." Darcy snorted.

"I don't think either of you did a lot of talking the last time he was here," she said. I tried to hold back a laugh.

"Maybe this is a really dumb question," I prompted, leaning closer to the table, "but what the hell happened to the original Bifrost? When Loki first arrived, all he told me was that it was broken. No one could come or go."

"How the hell did that little douchebag get here then?"

"Darcy!" Jane scolded again. Darcy only shrugged.

"He tried to destroy our planet. He doesn't deserve a reaction other than that." I pressed my lips together.

Before either I or Darcy could say anymore, Jane spoke. "I think there's a lot that happened on Asgard before you met Loki that you need to know. I don't really know the specifics to be able to tell you, especially what happened between Thor going back there and Loki arriving on Earth with the Bifrost broken. But he is the one who sent the Destroyer and that thing was clearly only out for Thor." I remembered random details that Loki had told me when we were living together. He was usually wont to talk about Thor but sometimes, he'd slip up. He'd ruined Thor's coronation day because he thought Thor would be a terrible king and by the actions he set in motion, Thor was banished here and Loki discovered he was another race. He had been jealous and wanted to prove himself. But Jane was right. Clearly, I didn't know everything.

"I guess you're right," I said. "But there's no one to fill in the blanks on anything. I really wish we'd kept Loki in custody for a couple of days. Bruce was studying his scepter and he never found out a single thing other than that it was manipulative. I mean, I can't even take it being in the same building as I am."

"Like he would've said anything about it anyway," said Darcy. She had a point. Why would Loki offer up information on that when he was about to be punished anyway? He could let the staff influence us all on it's own.

"Still, it would be nice to know something, anything about it."

"He never talked about what it could do?" asked Jane. I shook my head.

"I could tell that it would influence him too but other than that, he never said anything. I had some stroke of brilliance where I knew it was linked with the tesseract but that's all anybody at S.H.I.E.L.D. knows. I wish that I had more to give Erik to work on but I don't." Erik had asked me so many questions about Loki that it sometimes made me want to hurl. I generally didn't like thinking about Loki anymore but he wanted to know everything that I did so that he could compare information with old myths. I had explained Loki's duplicating trick to the point where I thought I could perform it.

"He really is sorry for putting you through hell about it," said Jane. I raised my eyebrows. "He can tell that it upsets you." I sucked in my breath.

"It doesn't upset me; it's just irritating having to explain certain things he did over and over and over again." I ran my fingers through my hair forcefully. Jane made a face and she knew I was covering it up.

Darcy looked between the two of us. "Seriously, a demigod recovery group is needed." I laughed.

"You got to see Loki before he left, didn't you?" Jane asked quietly. I wanted to bite my tongue. Thor hadn't had the time to visit her. She hadn't even been in the city. She watched the coverage on the news. But I felt bad for her because there was no knowing when Thor would get back.

"I had maybe two minutes with him, two monitored minutes," I said. "It doesn't matter in the long run though. All he did was warn me to take care of myself." I tried not to mention Thanos around Jane. I figured that would unnerve her and she didn't need extra stress. But that sucked because Darcy and Jane would probably be the only two people who would take that threat seriously. "Thor will be back before you know it," I said, trying to be positive.

"Steve will be too," she said back. I gulped. I didn't like talking about Steve either.

"It doesn't matter. He'll be sent out on something again so…"

"Is he avoiding you?" asked Darcy. Jane gave up on trying to scold her. "It's just, you know, he hasn't even had a real amount of contact with you in months."

"I really don't know," I responded. Steve would call every now and then but that only amounted to around 4 times and the service would cut out after a few minutes. Of course, he couldn't tell me where he was, have any sort of real conversation with me, and most of the time, he wanted me to relay some sort of message to Coulson that I didn't understand. "I don't care. I don't deserve him."

"Is that the only reason you've held yourself back from going after him?" asked Jane, in disbelief.

"Holy shit, Charlotte, you are blind, deaf, and beyond stupid!" exclaimed Darcy. I tried to ignore the glares she got from the people around us. "Who cares about that crap? He is obsessed with you!" I felt heat rising to my face. "And now that that little magical weasel isn't around, you have a real chance!" I put my face in my hands, literally facepalming. "If you don't take it, I will punch you. You and Jane have got the sexiest dudes in the universe drooling over you and I am not letting a wasted opportunity pass by. I need to live vicariously through you guys."

"I think I need a drink," I said.

Jane, Darcy, and I went our separate after paying our Captain America obsessed waitress. She made a point to tell me to tell him that she was his biggest fan. I almost rolled my eyes to her face. God, was I jealous again?

After telling off another reporter, I got in the back of the black car that Happy was driving and asked him to take me to headquarters. Evidently, I needed to talk to Coulson and I was desperate to punch something. When I got there, I changed down in the barracks into a sports bra and gym shorts. It was too hot to where anything more. When I arrived down in the gym, I automatically felt more at peace when I spotted a punching bag.

I wrapped my knuckles in gauze systematically, trying to forget talking to Darcy and Jane about Steve and Loki. I just needed to punch something. It would get rid of these conflicting problems.

I moved to stand in front of the bag and I breathed out. The thing was probably my size and definitely weighed as much. I wasn't usually very fond of punching bags but today, I happened to be in the mood. I planned my first hit and went for it. In between each one, I'd repeat in my head, love is for children, love is for children. I didn't know how much time had passed when I heard something behind me and I turned quickly, wishing I had one of my knives from my bag. I wiped sweat off my brow when I realized that it was only Coulson, clutching a file, and Fury. I took a minute to catch my breath, resting my hands on my knees. When I raised myself back up straight, I heard my back pop. I twisted my neck and heard that pop too. I felt like groaning but refrained.

"Well, this is certainly an ironic situation," said Director Fury.

"I'm fully aware of it, sir," I responded, beginning to unwrap the gauze from my hands. He was talking about when I had first been introduced to Steve. He'd been doing exactly what I was doing and I had been where Coulson was. Only Fury was the player that hadn't changed. "Tony said you had a mission for me. I'll hate to refuse but-"

"There is no refusing this one, Kent. This is important, extremely important, and I'm under the impression that retrieving this agent will be of particular interest to you." I raised my eyebrows, still breathing heavily.

"I believe you already know about him from the snooping you did down in our file rooms," said Coulson. I shrugged. It had been my job to know what was down there and who the files were on. What the hell was he talking about?

"I still don't really understand why this is something I should be interested in," I said.

"Agent Romanov has already failed in bringing him here," said Fury. "But I think you'll do better."

"Cut to the chase," I said. I tried to be more obedient now but it still came difficultly to me.

"His codename is the Winter Soldier," began Coulson. I couldn't even attempt to hide my surprise, "but you probably know him better as Bucky Barnes, Captain America's best friend during the war." I nodded and he handed over the file.

"Report here tomorrow afternoon," said Fury. "We'll tell you the destination then. For now, get your mind ready and learn all you can from the file and from Agent Romanov's mistakes. We'll need your tricky way of getting into people's heads. Violence isn't going to make him obey." I nodded again. When the two of them turned to leave, I spoke.

"Does Steve know about any of this? Is he aware Bucky's still alive?" I asked.

"You tell me, Agent Kent," said Fury. "You and Dr. Banner are the ones who originally found his file. Why didn't you tell him?"

"It's not my place," I responded. "It's yours."

"Just bring him in, Agent Kent. He's a dangerous man now but he's still a good soldier." With that, they left and I went down to the throwing ranges to practice a couple of moves. I definitely needed to get my mind off of this.

When I arrived back at Stark Tower, still clad in only a sports bra and gym shorts, I slowly moved past the receptionist without looking her in the eye. I groaned when I hit the elevator button and my back popped loudly once I was in the lift. I was sincerely glad I'd called Tony and told him to fix me a bath. Maybe I wasn't normal but I almost enjoyed ice baths more than normal ones. Maybe it was because now that summer had arrived, New York felt like a humid and sticky jungle. Whatever the case, I majorly preferred the cold to the hot.

When I entered the apartment, I threw my purse on the counter and pulled out the Winter Soldier's file. "Guys, I'm home! And Bruce, I need to tell you something!" I called.

"What did you do this time?" asked Tony as he appeared in the hallway.

"Punching bag, throwing range, and a couple of weights," I replied. I was always sore after weights. That's why I only ever did them once in a blue moon. "Where's Bruce?" Tony shrugged.

"Working late, as usual. But hey, the light over the tub is busted. Will that bother you?" I openly sighed. Tony was so lazy about buying different light bulbs.

"Yeah, I planned on reading this." I held up the file for him. He raised his eyebrows.

"Little Miss Independent took an order. Well, I'll bring a lamp or something for you." He ran off down the hallway before I could respond. Actually, I was too tired to respond anyway so that was actually a relief.

I shrugged off my shoes in the bathroom and the gym shorts before lowering myself into the tub. I sucked in my breath when I realized how freezing it was but my body adjusted soon enough. I never got completely naked in an ice bath because Bruce told me it wasn't a good idea to do so. Tony came in and put the lamp beside me on the edge of the tub. "If you electrocute yourself, you will officially be the biggest clutz I've ever known," he said. I tried to laugh but found I was too tired to respond.

I opened the file once he left and leaned closer to the light to get a good look at Bucky's face in the profile photo they had of him. He was good looking and in general, from the rest of the file, seemed like a good guy. He'd been brainwashed by the Soviets, which I vaguely remembered hearing from Bruce, and had only recently recovered from terrible amnesia. He was staying in a house in Brooklyn and had been avoiding working for S.H.I.E.L.D. since the discovery of Steve in the ice.

The guy was going to take a lot of convincing if Natasha couldn't persuade him. She was usually incredibly good at that and she even seemed to have quite a bit in common with him. The Russians had trained her to be some sort of killer and clearly, the same thing had happened to him. He just originally didn't remember anything before being a mercenary. So of course, now he felt guilty about all of it. I could only guess how he felt about not seeing Steve. Hell, did he even want to see Steve? Did Steve not knowing anything about this have something to do with Bucky? I couldn't see why he wouldn't want to be reunited with-

My arm ticked from the cold and hit the lamp mid-thought. The papers from the file scattered across the bathroom floor and the cord hit the water beside me. I shrieked and threw myself out of the tub when I felt the shock. A piercing pain went through my head and I yelled again before passing out.

**Hey guys! So this is the first chapter in the sequel. I promise the next couple of chapters will up the ante. But I hope you enjoyed this one! Please tell me what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

When I opened my eyes, I realized I was lying down, clad in one of Bruce's trademark purple shirts. I reached to my side and discovered I was on a couch. I groaned. How did I get here? Please do not tell me that I had another night out on the town with Clint and Tony at a bar. Why am I in Bruce's shirt? Dear God, this could only be bad. "You know, I appreciate the sentiment, Bruce, but I just don't feel that way about you," I muttered, my voice sounding exhausted. I turned my head to the side and saw Bruce sitting on the side table, staring at me. I jolted back into the couch and something fell off my head and landed beside me; a compress. Tony and Pepper were standing behind Bruce and looking at me like I was some sort of a zoo animal. "What the hell is going on?" Then it all came flooding back into my mind. I'd knocked the lamp into the tub and gotten electrocuted and passed out.

"Are you alright?" asked Pepper.

"We didn't wanna take you to the medical facility in case they took you off training for a while and Bruce ran some tests while Pepper got a compress for you," said Tony and I doubted he'd taken a breath in that amount of time.

"I do believe you were worried, Tony," I said.

"He's the one who got you in here," said Bruce.

"I'm never not gonna owe you a debt at this rate due to you saving my life repeatedly." Tony only shrugged.

"What can I say? They don't call me Iron Man for nothing," he responded. Pepper rolled her eyes.

"Seriously, Charlotte, do you feel okay?" she asked. I nodded slowly, sitting up.

"I don't feel any different or anything. In fact, I barely feel woozy," I replied. "It's just like I was sleeping and not knocked out."

"Well, don't stress yourself right now," said Bruce. "I'd feel better about it if we ran a few more tests in the lab upstairs." Bruce wasn't a medical doctor but he was still good at things concerning it so I trusted him.

"Anything you want. You didn't find anything the first time?" He shook his head.

"Pepper noticed that a strand of your hair is completely straight," said Tony. That was odd but things having to do with hair weren't necessarily weird to hear about concerning a shock like the one I had.

"Well, let's go to the labs and get this over with. I need to go to bed." Pepper nodded.

"Just let me know if you need anything," she said.

"Well, now that you mention it-" began Tony.

"Not you." She cut him off before walking down the hallway. Tony moved away from standing over me and walked around a bit.

"Seriously, Charlotte, you are such a klutz. Like you deserve an award mounted on my wall. Biggest Country Klutz, that's you," he said.

"It's real cute how you keep mentioning that I'm Southern, Tony. Real cute," I said, moving to get off the couch. When I stood midway though, my head felt light and I thought I might stumble. Bruce reached for me on instinct and I grabbed his wrist.

Then something flashed in my mind. I was in Calcutta where Natasha had recruited Bruce but I saw through his eyes. I felt it. His animosity, almost curiosity, and his total wariness of her. Then I felt a snap within my mind that felt like genuine anger and I flipped on her. Natasha pulled a gun. I let go of Bruce's wrist with a gasp.

"What is it? Are you alright?" Bruce demanded, his eyes wide. I choked instead of responding. When he moved to touch me again, I moved back. There was some charge in our physical touch. "What's wrong?"

"I saw something," I replied, my voice almost at a whisper. Bruce looked confused but kept his gaze on me.

"What?! Out on the balcony? Should I get my suit?" said Tony. I shook my head.

"I saw something when I touched you," I said, pointing to Bruce. Then my head snapped from the realization of what had happened; I'd seen a memory. When Tony approached, I turned to the both of them and tried to franticly explain it. "You know when in movies or TV shows or something, a character will pick something up or touch someone and have a flashback and they show that. That's what just happened. I touched Bruce and I saw something through his eyes. I think it was a memory." Tony and Bruce looked at each other like they thought I was criminally insane.

"Stranger things have happened," said Tony.

"What did you see?" asked Bruce.

"Natasha pulling a gun on you in Calcutta. But I felt you get angry at her first and when you sort of threatened her, she made like she was going to shoot you," I said. Bruce's face showed recognition at what I said.

"Are you sure you weren't having some kind of waking dream or some sort of side effect from the shock?" Oh God, that's exactly what this was. I got some sort of freaky ability from being electrocuted in ice water. Normally, I would find that strange but I worked with a band of superfreaks regularly.

"Tony, let me touch you," I begged, reaching for him. He made a face but extended his hand toward me and reluctantly, I grabbed it. It was almost immediate. I felt an intense pain in my chest, like where my heart was supposed to be located, and it was dark wherever I was. Suddenly, it was light and I realized I'd had a bag over my head. Then I was staring into a camera with several Middle Eastern mercenaries surrounding me. The pain in my chest pulsed and I let go of Tony with another pounding gasp.

"What was it?" Tony asked, reaching for me again. I shook my head and made a gesture at my chest.

"It was when you were kidnapped and they'd just done this to you." I pointed to my heart. "I felt it."

"We're definitely going to have to do tests on you now," said Bruce.

"Yeah, I completely agree," I said.

"God, the only normal one of us now has some freaky power," said Tony, running his fingers through his hair. "I need a drink."

"Fix me one when I get back," I said, following Bruce out into the hallway. I hesitantly touched the button on the elevator, fully expecting to be whisked away into some fantasy touch memory it had. I sighed when nothing happened.

I rolled the sleeves up on Bruce's shirt and stared over at him on the other side of the elevator. "I'm sure it's nothing. I'm sure it's some small side effect. It didn't hurt you or anything, did it?" he asked. I shrugged.

"I felt Tony's chest hurting and I felt that you were angry. I mean, it was like I was you, but no, now that I know it's not real, there's not pain."

"I can't promise it will go away but maybe these tests will tell me scientifically what happened to you." I nodded before we got off the elevator.

What seemed like hours passed as I went through various machines, most examining my head. Bruce pricked my finger and looked at my cells through a microscope but I doubted that would wield any answers. All the same, I did everything he asked of me. Finally, while the results were finishing, Bruce resorted to asking me questions.

"Do you feel any different? I mean are there potentially more side effects than this one?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Like I said before, I don't even feel like I've been shocked. Maybe I wouldn't notice a difference anyway. It's not like I've been electrocuted before," I responded. He scribbled something on a notepad and I rolled my eyes. It wasn't like I was turning into a supervillain and for all we both knew, those tests would show that my vitals are totally fine.

"And you described the ability as seeing someone's memory when you touched their skin?" I nodded.

"That's the only way I know how to describe it aside from alluding to stuff in movies like I did earlier. It really felt like a flashback and it was totally real. I thought I was there, I thought I was really feeling those things, when in reality, it was you the entire time." He made a noise and took another note while I slouched in my wheely chair.

Bruce got up and found his tablet that allowed him to look at my final test results. The tablets Tony had were simply ingenious and I was wondering when he'd give me one. "To be quite honest, Charlotte, it could've been worse." He stared down at the high tech (and see-through) tablet. "There are all sorts of things that can result from electrocution, most notably, death but you've escaped without any sort of scar. The only thing abnormal about you physically is the strand of hair Pepper noticed."

"I thought stuff with hair was fairly normal with a shock like the one I had. Don't some people have a strand go totally white?" He nodded.

"Really, you've been lucky." I scoffed. If there was one thing on Earth I wasn't, it was lucky. "And the test results are showing your vitals as normal. Nothing's wrong with your brain, nothing with any of your organs as far as I can tell which is great news. But there's one bad thing about that; now we have no clue how you got this memory thing. If I don't have some result of it, I can't study it and if you're burdened with something that happens every time you have physical contact…" I got the drift. I could tell by the look in Bruce's eyes that he felt sorry that he couldn't help me. I was sorry too. But he was right; this wasn't the worst that could've come of it.

"At least it's not something that would totally impair me." He nodded.

"You're right and I can work with you on exercising it. For all we know, it may go away on it's own. Things that happen like this are very temperamental. My best guess is that isn't permanent. But I promise you that I will do all the research on it that I can. You can't be the only case of something like this. But if you are, there's no reason it can't work."

"I know that I'm not the only one with something weird," I said. "Honestly, what's happened to me isn't even a blip on the radar of weird concerning some people in the files that I've read." That was very true and I wasn't just saying it to make myself feel better. S.H.I.E.L.D. had come into contact with more odd people than just the Avengers and their respective counterparts.

"Good. And look, this might be an entirely strange idea but hear me out. You once talked to me about the other guy, the Hulk, and you explained that he is sort of an enhancement of me and that he's a part of my personality." I nodded. "What if this is just an enhancement of you?" I raised my eyebrows. "You were always great at figuring people out, at getting into their heads. That was your job." I still wasn't quite catching on. "This new ability for you means you literally get to be inside someone's head and see something through their eyes. You told me you feel what they were feeling. The shock took something you were already good at and made you an expert." I wasn't sure how to react.

"I'm sorry, because that was a wonderful explanation and all, but where exactly are you getting this from, Bruce?" He shrugged.

"It's mostly just some crackpot theory that popped into my head while you were letting me test you. It's only verified by the fact that your test results didn't show anything abnormal. It's all in your head. It's not physical." I made my hand cover my mouth while I thought about it. He very well may have a point. "And you're not exactly freaking out about it anymore. It's like you're already used to it." I nodded.

"You could be right. I mean, that really makes sense."

"And if it was simply an enhancer, other abilities you had may increase." He smiled at me knowingly and I grinned back. I was already good at sneaking around and good with my knives; if those abilities were increased, I may as well start running S.H.I.E.L.D. "This gift of seeing memories could really help you in your job. You may be able to find out if someone is good or bad, whether you can trust them. It's a good trait."

"So you think I should be happy about this?" I asked. I was but I felt like I needed validation. Even though it would be hard to adjust to, I was incredibly adaptable. When Loki had chopped my hair off, I'd barely blinked.

"I think it evens out the playing field for you." He was right about that too. Along with the training I'd been doing, I was almost on the same level as Clint and that was something to be proud of. But it also reminded me of what I was doing tomorrow.

"Thank you so much for this, Bruce, but while I've got you here, there's something I've gotta tell you." He leaned back in his chair, waiting curiously. "Do you remember the Winter Soldier?" He looked as shocked as I had been. "He's been staying in Brooklyn and tomorrow I have to try to recruit him to S.H.I.E.L.D. He's been avoiding service ever since they found Steve in the ice and even Natasha couldn't convince him to come in." That caught his attention.

"_Natasha _couldn't convince the guy to come in? He must be crazy."

"I don't know that he's crazy so much as he's done bad things while he was working for the Russians. I'm gonna have to be mean about it."

"From what I heard about your interrogation of Loki, you do manipulating well. If you could fool that guy for even a few seconds, you'll have no problem convincing the Winter Soldier." I certainly hoped he was right.

Bruce and I returned to the apartment, Bruce clutching a tablet so that he could do more research for me. I sat at the bar, staring at my hands like they weren't even a part of my body anymore. I downed the glass of scotch that Tony had poured for me and immediately felt the burn. "I called Coulson while you two were in the labs because I have a couple of new designs for your knives that they should have done in time for your assignment tomorrow," said Tony. I looked over at him hesitantly.

"You got me new ones? What's wrong with the ones you already made?" I asked, staring at my hands again. They started shaking involuntarily and I moved them under the bar.

"You can never have too many," he said with a wink. "Besides, I made these a little more your style with Bruce's help." A little more my style? I raised my eyebrows. "Just wait and see. I'm sure you'll be pleased with them." I didn't doubt I would be. Tony had made some impressive products for S.H.I.E.L.D. lately.

Bruce spoke from over on the couch. "I've been doing more research on this, Charlotte, and I think it's temporary. A lot of odd things occur after electrocution but not many last longer than a few weeks. If it's something you want to take advantage of, use it quickly."

I breathed a sigh of relief. Even if I could learn to control something like that, chances were it would still obstruct me. I didn't want it to take over my life. There was something refreshing about being the only regular human in a group of superheroes. But if this was temporary, I probably should use it while I could. I could touch Bucky's hand by accident tomorrow and see something that happened while he was brainwashed. That was actually terrifying to think about. I would be seeing something that could be intensely personal. What if I saw something like someone having sex or someone brutally killing another? I couldn't play that off at all.

The ringing of my phone jolted me out of my thoughts. "Who the hell is calling me right now?" I asked. Tony shrugged. It was midnight. I sure hoped it wasn't my mom with another horror story from the news. I didn't recognize the number but I answered anyway. "Hello?"

"Charlotte?" My breath sucked in and I started grinning. I would recognize that voice anywhere.

"Steve! Oh gosh, how are you?" Tony made a kissing face at me and I flipped him off.

"I'm fine. How are you?"

"I'm really great now. Gosh, it's been such a long time since I've heard from you. When are you coming home?" I saw Tony teasing me from across the room but I didn't care.

"Two weeks from today," he responded. I put my hand over my mouth. Two weeks wasn't a long time at all.

"I can't wait. You better not go on another assignment before I get to see you." I was actually jittery with excitement. My hands were shaking.

"I won't, I promise. I miss you." I covered my face with my hand again and my happiness was palpable.

"I miss you too." Tony groaned.

"Cheeeeeesy," he said from across the room. Bruce smacked him on the arm.

"I can't talk for long," Steve said, sort of regretfully.

"Where are you this time? Or can you not tell me?" I asked. I heard him make a noise on the other end of the line.

"It's better you don't know. I'm sorry." I shook my head like he could see.

"It doesn't matter. But hey, I've got something really important to talk to you about when you get back. I doubt I'll forget but nevertheless, remind me. It's really important." Bucky was what I needed to talk to him about and this hand ability if that wasn't gone by that time.

"Uh, could you give me a hint?" I could almost sense how nervous he was through the phone.

"If I hinted, it would be totally clear so no. Don't worry about it. It's good or at least, I think you'll think it is." He gave me a laugh.

"Are you sure about that?" I laughed back.

"I'm just making it worse. I'm sorry."

"Well, I wanted to talk to you too." My heart felt like it stopped.

"About what?"

"Just remind me." I could almost hear him smirking at me. Two could play this game.

"What about a hint?"

"It would be totally clear so no. But it's good or at least, I think it is." He tried to say the entire thing like I had and I laughed at him.

"Cute. But I'll let you go. I know how these connections get sometimes." A lot of the time the connection would drop out before we'd even gotten halfway into a conversation. It's why I didn't bother anymore.

"Alright but I'll see you soon and I miss you." My heart pounded unnaturally.

"Yeah, I miss you too." I hung up the phone slowly. I rubbed my hands over my face like I needed to keep myself from falling asleep. This had been an incredibly surreal night. I hadn't counted on talking to Steve anytime soon, let alone that he'd be coming back so soon. I felt like doing jumping jacks.

"How is the star spangled man?" asked Tony slyly. I rolled my eyes.

"He said he was fine and that he would be here two weeks from today." I couldn't keep a smile off my face. Tony faked a gag.

"Mark your calendars. We have two weeks before you're suckered into going dancing and awkward dates. It's been great having you single, Charlotte. God, I'll miss you." I laughed.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Don't even lie to me. You're ecstatic about seeing Steve and talking to him. To be honest, I'm excited to watch the train wreck that will be him trying to date you. Gosh, can you imagine? It will be so awkward." I opened my mouth in some kind of shock but I laughed anyway.

"You're terrible." I actually hadn't even begun to think about dating Steve. Wow, that was weird. I hadn't begun to think about how I should start approaching things with him. Thor and Steve both had told me that I needed time on my own to get in my head and understand my feelings. By now, I should have a decision but of course, I didn't. I blocked all thoughts of anything romantic at all. I tried to forget about Loki altogether. If I thought of Steve, it was in a friendly context. Mostly, I was just worried about him being out on missions by himself. Going out on dates, kissing someone, going _dancing, _none of it had vaguely crossed my mind in three months. I had been brokenhearted and throwing myself into training but there was a huge difference between that and thinking about wanting to be with somebody romantically. Hell, hadn't I been lectured early on that letting emotions get in the way of my job was dangerous? I couldn't think of all the possibilities right now. I'd let myself decide when the time came and I was actually talking to Steve.

"You've got a meeting with that therapist in the morning, by the way," said Tony. My eyes widened. Shit, I had totally forgotten about that. In order to become a field agent at S.H.I.E.L.D., there were several things I had to agree to do; a skydiving class and going to a therapy session once a week were only a couple of them. The therapist had talked with just about all of the agents that I had been in contact with, aside from Steve who had been gone during the course of my training. Even Tony had consented to talking to the guy about me and our time in the field. The therapist may be what I consider a total quack but he seriously enjoyed talking to me. I was probably his favorite case.

"I really don't have the time to talk to him about my 'feelings' tomorrow morning. I have to get ready to go to Bucky's." Or where he was squatting. The house in Brooklyn where he was staying wasn't leased to him.

"You cancelled on him last week and you tried to get out of it the week before. Don't you think he's noticed?" I shrugged. I didn't really care whether he'd noticed.

The first couple of sessions had only been bad because of my mindset at the time, which was just plain depressing. I missed Loki, I missed Steve, I missed Thor, and the therapist had capitalized on it by wanting me to relive certain memories in the field. Coulson had told me that the doctor's job was just to gauge certain behavior and in the end, his input would be vital in what kinds of assignments I got. I bitched about going there to Darcy and Jane constantly. Recently was when I'd decided I didn't want to put up with it period because he had decided that now was the time to start talking to me about actual emotions and how I felt during fights. I knew he wanted a real discussion on my love life. Loki was intriguing and terrifying to the man and I didn't blame him for finding him that way but I didn't like talking about my time with Loki with anyone, let alone someone who had the power to certify someone as insane.

"He wants me to talk about how conflicted I felt when ya'll took down Loki. Last time I was there, he asked whether I was mad at Bruce for hurting him. He asks the stupidest questions sometimes. I honestly don't know how the man got his doctorate," I responded.

"I have to start seeing him next week," said Bruce. My mouth dropped open a little.

"Really? What the hell for?" Bruce shrugged.

"Same reason as you, I guess. They just want to talk to me about control. Everyone seems to still handle me with kid gloves aside from the two of you and Clint." He had really freaked out Natasha when Loki had broken out of the facility and Steve was wary of him only because he thought he should be. Thor and the Hulk had some sort of rivalry but Thor wasn't around and Bruce didn't want to set me off.

"You handle me with kid gloves, Bruce. So do a lot of people," I said. Tony shrugged. "I know both of you are worried that I'm going to lose it."

"Charlotte, you have been so depressing to be around sometimes," moaned Tony. "It's like it puts you out to be happy. You throw yourself into physical training, you don't wanna talk about anything, how are we supposed to not be worried that you'll snap?" Bruce nodded in agreement.

"It's been rough," I responded, coming off tartly.

"And that's exactly why you need a therapist. What the hell is so hard about talking? The man is under jurisdiction to not say anything you say in his office." I leaned onto the bar.

"They're worried about me losing control is what it is. If that's the case, why don't they lecture me and be done with it? It's exhausting to rant to a therapist about memories of fighting over and over. I don't want to talk about Loki with anyone, let alone someone who works for S.H.I.E.L.D."

"And there we have it! You still don't trust S.H.I.E.L.D. Why didn't you just say so? It's not like they fully trust you either." I raised my eyebrows. "It's for the same reason they send you to a therapist; they're worried about control issues."

"Well, what exactly does that mean, 'control issues?' No offense, Bruce, but it's not like I turn into a rage monster."

"None taken," Bruce responded monotonously.

"Like I said, you've been a mood killer and they've responded to it," said Tony.

"I'm getting seriously tired of you calling me that," I said, even though it was totally true. I sucked fun out of every event. Without Steve or Thor around, I felt messy around the Avengers, like I didn't belong. That was strange on it's own because Clint and Tony had always been my friends and now I was close to Bruce. Natasha had helped train me. I would consider every one of them my friends. But it was tough knowing that I may never see Loki again, that I may not get to see Thor for years. For the most part, both of those things had sunk in for me. It had happened slowly and over time and yes, I did throw myself into training to get my mind off of it but training was far more efficient than laying in bed and crying over it. I couldn't change the fact that they were in Asgard. But I did sincerely hope that being around Steve again would change my attitude.

"It's like you don't have any emotions at all except when Steve calls you." I closed my eyes and breathed out. Was he being serious? "I'm just saying it's weird when you used to wear your heart on your sleeve and talk to Clint about what you should do romantically. Bruce and I would totally be here for you." Bruce nodded.

"We're just wondering whether you've accepted it yet," said Bruce. I made a face.

"Of course I've accepted it. There's nothing I can do to change anything," I said. "I don't know that I would change anything even if I could. I know that it had to happen, that they had to leave and that Steve has to go on missions. I know I have to go on missions now. It's not happily ever after for me and I understand that."

"I don't think you can fully accept it until you talk about it and if you won't talk about it with us, the least you could do is help S.H.I.E.L.D. out and actually speak to the therapist." Bruce did have a point but that didn't mean it would be easy for me. Talking about things that happened before three months ago made me want to be sick. But Bruce was right. It might actually be therapeutic and it might force me to look forward to these meetings.

"If I promise I'll talk about it tomorrow, will the two of you get off my back?" Tony threw his hands up in the air as if in a fake standoff and Bruce only nodded again.

As I got up to finally get some sleep, Tony stopped me. "Although in your heart-to-heart tomorrow, you probably won't wanna mention your new mutant ability." I shook my head at him. I wasn't crazy.

"There's no point if it's temporary. I'll make a point to tell them if I find out something that I can't explain any other way."

"Get some rest then. Sounds like you have a long day tomorrow." I shrugged. He didn't know the half of it. I wondered if Bruce had filled him in on Bucky's history. I felt sick knowing I had kept him and his file a secret from Steve for this long. At least, if I did recruit Bucky, there would be no reason not to tell Steve when he got back in a couple of weeks. Maybe I could brace Bucky for everything and it could be sanctioned without Bruce and I having to say we'd known for a long time. It wasn't fair that we'd known at all. The Winter Soldier had been in the back of my mind since I'd glimpsed the name in the back of the file cabinet.

I slouched into my Iron Man colored sheets and leaned my head against the pillow. Maybe this ability wouldn't distract me at all. I mean, how many times a day does a normal person have physical contact with another? I'm not in a romantic relationship, I barely even hug my friends. The fact of the matter was, I could avoid using it until it was null. Either it would be gone completely or the lack of use would lessen it's strength. I was inclined to believe Bruce in that it was short-term. Things like this happened all the time in movies and for exactly the reasons Bruce said; the power seems to be an extension of what I'm already good at. It could be here to make me learn about myself.

When I turned the light out, the brightness of the red sheets dulled and I pulled the covers over my head. Sleep hadn't been easy for me since the last Chitauri fight. I tossed and turned and couldn't seem to get comfortable but mostly, my mind ran amuck. Things would flashback in my head the way people's memories now seemed to do when I touched them. I would remember being on the balcony (which wasn't even that far from my room) and Loki grabbing me when I went through the glass fence. Then I would jolt and feel the way I felt when Steve and I finally kissed each other. I couldn't sleep for being so swarmed with memories. And then if I was so tired, I finally slipped into some semblance of sleep, I would dream about them. Sometimes it would be nice, like Thor and Tony and I watching some movie. But more likely as not, they were almost nightmarish quality and they would involve Loki and Steve.

I shook my head to make myself stop remembering those. It wouldn't do to have them in my head before I went to sleep. Like everything else, my sleep schedule had started going back to normal. Now sometimes, I wouldn't have a dream at all.

When I closed my eyes, it was almost immediate. The next thing I knew, I was rolling over and noticing a lump in my bed; a lump curiously the size of a man. I didn't say anything but rubbed my face with my hand and tried to sit up. My head felt heavier so I ran my hands through my hair and found that it was long again. When I looked down, I noticed the sheets had changed color and turned a deep green. When I looked over at the lump again, it moved. I wasn't frightened or even shocked at this point; the sheets turning color had proved that this was a dream.

I was even less surprised when I saw a tuft of dark hair poke out of the covers. I sunk back down into the bed and closed my eyes. This was a normal dream and one I was relatively familiar with. I would lay in bed here for a little while then Loki would speak to me and eventually Steve would enter the room and they'd take turns trying to convince me to stay away from the other. I practically had both of their arguments memorized. It was thinking about what they said in my waking hours that got hard.

My eyes opened when I felt the bed move against me and I saw Loki stretching his pale arms out around him. Did he really used to look like that? Was he really that lanky? My brain fuzzed out the image of the rest of the room and I pressed my face into my pillow after staring at Loki's tousled hair. He looked like he'd been out in the wind somewhere.

His arm crossed over me and tugged at my body so I moved and grabbed his hand. His skin was a normal cool temperature, wonderful to feel in the humid night air of summer. His skin relayed some memory of the two of us in the grocery store in Puente Antiquo and I started smiling. He did too and I moved closer to him, wrapping my arms around him, touching the bare skin on his back. I grinned as the memory that flashed to me then was one where he had pushed me against the wall and started kissing me furiously. So the ability had transferred into dream world?

"I need your help," he whispered, as he methodically pushed his head into the nape of my neck and the memories stopped flashing at this contact.

"With what?" I breathed.

"I need you to help me." His hands had moved to cupping my face and I only nodded at him. Help him with what? This wasn't even real.

He smiled one of those mischievous smiles that I had loved so much about him. He touched my long hair and looked at it with some sort of lust before bending down and kissing me. He moved from my mouth to my collarbone to between my breasts and onto my stomach. Had I been naked the entire time?

My hands curled on the skin of his back and then I heard something. My eyes closed and opened fast and once they were opened, I noticed my hands were only gripping the pillow beside me. My hair was short again and the sheets were back to the regular red. I turned my head and saw Tony standing in the doorframe.

"It's time for you to get a move on," he said. "You have an appointment with Dr. Chandler in an hour. I made you a mimosa!" Slowly, I nodded and I pushed myself out of bed. I had almost had a sex dream. I was half glad that Tony had woken me up and half angry.

My hair was sticking out on all sides and I decided I needed the mimosa before trying to take a brush to it. Tony handed it to me and another Poptart, even though the combination seemed abysmal, before I followed him out onto the balcony. When it had been remodeled, Pepper had convinced Tony to get some furniture out there. Now Bruce and I could lay out and tan and read magazines with each other like a couple of girlfriends.

I took a seat on a lounge chair, still in my pajamas, which were Iron Man themed today, and took a long sip of the mimosa. If there was one thing Tony truly shone at, it was making drinks. I took a bite out of the Poptart and tried not to look so glum. At least, the day appeared like it wouldn't be so hot. It might even storm later on.

"You said you had new knives for me today?" I asked Tony. He nodded from a chair on the other side of the balcony. His skin looked tan in the early morning sun.

"They're waiting for you at headquarters. They're awesome, hopefully more fitted to you than the earlier prototypes were. Bruce actually gave me a few ideas concerning them. Each one is unique and then you have a set of regular ones. But they all have a green stone in the hilt. I thought it would make them more your signature," he responded.

"They sound great. Hopefully, I won't have to use them this afternoon." But I knew that I'd have to. It didn't sound like Bucky was really into the idea of working with S.H.I.E.L.D. and if Natasha couldn't convince him, I had to fall back on something. They'd said that violence wouldn't work though. But with the blades (and I had several different kinds), I could certainly show him that I was worth talking to.

"Don't be afraid to use them. And Happy is ready when you are." I rolled my eyes. He was having Happy drive me again. This was ridiculous.

I got up and walked over to him, curious. "I wanna see if I've still got this thing. Let me touch you." Tony held out his hand and I took it, immediately falling into being in the Iron Man suit and flying over New York, telling Pepper to turn on the lights at Stark Tower. I let go. "It's still there."

I went inside and got dressed in a burgundy tank top and jeans, pulling on combat boots. Who cares if it was summer? I might need to run and these were reliable shoes. I grabbed my huge purse and walked out, locking the door to the apartment behind me. I arrived at headquarters in a matter of minutes, shrugging out of the backseat of an ambiguous black car. I gave Happy my thanks and walked inside, sliding my ID card to get me access into the building. I nodded at Agent Hill before turning down a hallway and entering a holding room that served as Dr. Chandler's office at S.H.I.E.L.D. He had begun to make the place look a little homier but it was still a holding room.

"Nice changes, Doc. The new table looks awesome," I said as I sat in front of his desk. Dr. Chandler nodded at me and almost gave me a smile. He was really a nervous wreck around me or maybe he was excited, what did I know? He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and got out a notepad. "Bruce said he's gonna start seeing you next week."

"Indeed he is," the therapist responded. He had a clipped accent that I could never quite place. "Director Fury seemed to think he'd benefit from a few meetings, much like you have." I almost openly rolled my eyes. "Don't make faces, Ms. Kent. I know you hate it and I'm sorry that you do. These meetings are meant to help you feel better, help you get back on your feet as it were."

"Well, seeing as I hadn't quite been knocked down, I'm curious as to how this is supposed to put me back on my feet. What's helped me the most is being on my own. I have helped myself more than anything else has."

"You knew these conditions when you signed on for a field agent position, Ms. Kent. This is one of the requirements for you. It's meant to be therapeutic, it's meant to help you and everyone around you. Are you trying to tell me that Mr. Stark and Dr. Banner haven't been of help to you?" I grimaced. That's not what I was saying at all. I watched as Dr. Chandler braced himself to start writing maniacally on that notepad.

"I'm close to Tony and Bruce and yes, they have helped distract me but it's not like I talk to them about what's going on." He scribbled something down even though I couldn't fathom what he'd gotten out of that sentence.

"Do you talk to anyone about the way you've been feeling?" I shook my head. "Why is that, Ms. Kent? You have several avenues regarding that. You have your friends on the team, you have an ally in myself, you are surrounded by people who care. Why don't you want to talk?" I smiled grimly.

"I know they care but I just don't feel like talking about stuff like that anymore."

"Talking about your emotions can only serve to better you, Ms. Kent. You're rolling your eyes but you know it's true. Talking it out can only make you feel better."

"Well, if you're so curious, why don't you ask some questions?" My voice sounded bland, the way it usually did nowadays, and Dr. Chandler almost seemed frightened of me.

"Have you heard from Captain Rogers lately?" That wasn't a new question. He asked it nearly every week and when I hadn't heard from Steve, it only made me more depressed that I hadn't.

"Last night before I went to bed as a matter of fact." He nodded, wanting me to go on. "He'll be home in two weeks. I'm… excited." I almost couldn't keep a smile from crawling onto my face. The shrink noticed it, writing fast.

"As I understand it, your mission today somewhat involves him. How do you feel about that?"

"Guilty," I said. It was the first word that came to mind. "It has to do with a friend he's thought dead for a long time. In fact, I think for a while he blamed himself for the guy's death. I feel bad that I've known for a long time and never told him. But when he gets back, there'll be no reason to keep it a secret anymore."

"And you're happy for them to reunite?"

"If they're both up for it, of course. I can imagine how good it would feel."

"Because you've been there?"

"Because I've imagined seeing Thor again and I know it would be wonderful." It was out before I'd thought about it and I saw him write something down.

"You miss Thor?"

"All the time," I responded, feeling a weight on my chest. It made my heart hurt to think about it.

"This causes you a great deal of pain." It wasn't a question so I only nodded.

"It could be years before I see him again and that's very hard to accept."

"And Loki? Do you miss him as well?" My hands started shaking uncontrollably at the mention of his name and I knew the therapist noticed. He'd been informed of that tic. My mind reminded me of the dream I'd had that Tony had interrupted and I felt my face flush.

"It doesn't do to dwell on things I can't change and shouldn't change. I'll never see Loki again and I've accepted it." I said it after I'd finally gained some presence of mind again.

"It makes you angry." Dr. Chandler had said that so calmly that I clasped my hands together. Again, it wasn't a question but this one I had to think on.

"Not in so many words," I responded, my voice almost a whisper. His eyes seemed to light up. He was getting me to talk, which was all he'd ever wanted.

"Were you angry at Loki before he left?" I nodded.

"I was angry at him a lot. He was mean and vicious and I thought he'd threatened Steve's life one too many times." I'd never said that aloud or even really to myself.

"But still, you went out of your way to protect him when he had done these terrible things. What good did that serve you other than to get you in trouble?" I shook my head. He didn't understand. No one could. Even if I explained everything, no one would understand the way I felt for Loki. It was an otherworldly connection I had with him. We understood each other and for Loki, that was really unusual.

"I loved him, Doc," I said. It came off dry and sultry but most of all it came off honest. "Everyone here judges him harshly and hates him for things that could've been prevented. He was put in a bad situation and reacted the way we all say we wouldn't but what do we know? We've never really been there. He's kind of the perfect character study in what happens when someone grows up in the shadow of greatness. Thwarted ambition is a great motivator, Doc. If I had been in Loki's shoes, chances are I would've acted very similarly." He had stared at me the whole time as if mesmerized by the way I looked but I knew that wasn't what it was. His eyes were wide with wonder and I instinctively knew he was scared of me. "I think what S.H.I.E.L.D. and everyone else on this close minded planet needs to realize is that Asgardians are no different than we are. Sure, they heal faster and are more gifted fighters but they feel the way we do, maybe even more intensely."

"Loki was no Asgardian." It was the only sentence my therapist had offered up in a while and I flinched the minute he said it. My lips clenched together tightly. "He was a monster, Ms. Kent… and he got what he deserved."

"People like you are the reason the Chitauri invasion happened at all. You're so quick to judge him and me that you don't give either of us a chance. Why don't you tell me something, Dr. Chandler? Did you believe I should've been locked up after those events? Are you scared that I'll turn on everyone?" He made a face that confirmed it. I only smiled at him. "Why?"

"Ms. Kent, you're my patient-"

"And I'm _patiently _waiting." I smiled again.

"You broke several laws, Ms. Kent. You were dangerous and now you're even more so. Your attitude went from being a normal, happy one to this state of depression you're in now. You stopped talking about any sort of emotion. I'm not sure you feel anything other than pain or betrayal. Believe me, I am not the only one who is worried about you."

"Is that why we have these meetings?" I asked dryly. "People are upset that I don't talk about my _feelings _anymore, that I don't act like a sap anymore. You think I'm heartless now."

"Ms. Kent," he began calmly, "those who are heartless, once cared too much. You and Loki have an incredible amount in common, especially now." I gave him a laugh.

"You think by studying me you can find a way into his head? Good luck." I got up out of the chair and moved to leave the makeshift office but I paused when I heard his voice.

"You took it personally when I called Loki a monster. That says a lot about you but that's not what I want to say. I wasn't talking about what he is scientifically. Wounds create monsters and you are wounded, Ms. Kent, much in the way he was."

**Okay, so yes, the power is totally temporary so don't get weirded out by it. I actually had a dream about doing it and it worked out well so hopefully, it will in here too. It will just be interesting. Sorry for the long wait on this as well. I tried to divide up events accordingly but it just ended up being a longer wait. But I can promise you that you will see Bucky in the next chapter and a familiar face.**


	3. Chapter 3

**This first part is third person, well, the majority of the chapter should be. And as usual, I own nothing but Charlotte. I hope you enjoy and leave reviews for me! I read all of them.**

He walked through the small house, running his fingers through his dark brown hair. It was still odd getting used to a bionic arm. Just the other day, he'd broken a round nightstand's table top off the legs. He paused in front of a mirror and stared at the arm. He didn't remember losing his left arm in the fall from the train but there were still a lot of things Bucky Barnes didn't remember. A red star was emblazoned on his upper shoulder. Of all things, why that? Why was that there? To make him remember who he'd been? So that he'd be easily spotted by the Soviets? He groaned. If he spent too long thinking of Russia, he'd eventually fall into remembering the amount of kills he'd administered. He'd been nothing more than a pawn for decades, like a player in a video game that they could control.

A loud bang of thunder shook the house, shaking him from his thoughts. The rain had been pouring steadily for hours. He was only grateful that it wasn't snow. That was when he heard another noise. The familiar sound of a car in the driveway. That couldn't be. He didn't have any visitors. When he gazed out the window, his eyes saw a dark green Jeep Cherokee; the reputed car of choice for one Charlotte Kent. When the driver's door opened and revealed a bob of dark auburn hair, he knew it for certain.

S.H.I.E.L.D. was sending another operative for him to turn down. What did they not understand about the word "no"? Nothing was appealing about working for them anymore. He regretted ever contemplating it and letting them think there was a chance. He couldn't face Steve after all this time even though he desperately wanted to see him other than on TV.

When he looked back outside, he noticed the girl was gone from beside her Jeep and that she didn't appear to be standing on the porch, waiting to be let inside. A slight noise from the kitchen let him know she'd broken in. Was she absolutely insane? At least the other woman, Romanov, had knocked and waited patiently. But Romanov had also been clearly a fighter, having to secure him to a chair before she would even begin to explain something. He'd liked her. But still, he'd refused.

Bucky knew everything there was to know about Charlotte Kent. He'd seen the news coverage but he'd also read her file the few times he'd been in S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. Director Fury and the other agent, what was his name? Coulson, had been fairly open handed with information on her. Bucky had started learning about her once it became clear that Steve cared for her. Just because he wasn't technically an agent didn't mean he didn't keep up with what was happening.

Just from hearing about Agent Kent, he'd decided he didn't like her. She'd hurt Steve, which was nigh unforgivable to Bucky, and she'd chosen a madman over her country. There weren't many good qualities about her as far as he could tell and yet she was the one they sent to recruit him. How terribly ironic. What had she done to deserve to be a field agent? What had she done to become so important to them? She should be in prison, living out a traitor's life in a cell like her lover Loki was in Asgard. She sure as hell shouldn't be breaking and entering his parents' home.

Bucky grabbed his handgun slowly and cocked it. If she wanted a fight, she would damn well get one. "You've broken into my house so be prepared for the consequences," he called.

"This, technically, isn't your house," said a woman's Southern drawl from behind him. He turned and she grabbed his arm and twisted it painfully, making him drop the gun. He dropped to the floor and clambered for it when he noticed her staring at her left hand much in the way he used to, like it wasn't attached to her body. She dropped her arm after a second and turned her gaze on him. "I'd like to talk civilly with you, Mr. Barnes." He watched her draw something from the tool belt around her waist. Expecting at least a taser gun, he was surprised to see when she flipped open what appeared to be a Swiss Army knife. No, it wasn't that. It was an old looking blade, like someone would use to give a close shave. His eyes dropped to the tool belt hanging around her hips and he noticed tons of small daggers, different than the one she was clutching. She had throwing knives. "But we can do that later." Her voice sounded low and seductive but her appearance was totally different. She looked young and small, almost birdlike. She had childish looking pouty lips and large eyes that made her appear innocent. But he knew she was anything but.

His hand twirled around the barrel of his gun and he stood, noticing she had disappeared again. "You're a trickster just like him, huh?" Bucky asked. He didn't need to say the name because all he got in response was a small laugh. He didn't need to look hard; Charlotte had been soaked with rain water and had left puddles of it everywhere. When lightning flashed, it lit up her silhouette in the room adjacent.

"Do me a favor and don't do anything stupid," she breathed. She slicked back her wet hair and seemed to slip into Loki's skin. No one had remarked how alike they were although he had assumed they had to have something in common. Her hair flipped at the end of her neck before falling back the way it was. He had seen plenty of photos of the God of Mischief and he figured mimicking him must just be her style.

Bucky lifted his arm and fired a shot, missing Charlotte by mere inches. It wasn't an aim problem, he had intended to scare her. Judging by the fact that she didn't flinch, just carefully moved her hand, his intention hadn't worked. "I don't have to listen to a word you say. You people are persistent but I've already declined," he said. "So I have no problem with throwing you out of this house." She smirked and her green eyes lit up, making Bucky forget how innocent they'd made her look earlier.

"It doesn't work like that." Charlotte angled her arm back and threw something. Bucky flinched as his right arm felt a slicing prick. When he looked on the wall beside him, he saw a tiny throwing knife that had sharp edges and a green gem in the hilt. Green, wasn't that Loki's color? He didn't have time to think farther because Charlotte was pressing herself up against him and leveling that barber shop blade at his neck. She was shorter than he was but she wasn't shorter than Romanov. Up close, he noticed she wasn't as vixen-ish as Romanov was either. What did a Norse god see in this girl? What did Steve see? A girl who vaguely resembled Peggy? "Why don't you come with me and it'll make this easier on everyone?" He only shook his head.

"I'm not going anywhere with someone like you." He turned her quick while she was unaware and threw her against the wall, holding her there with the bionic arm. She glanced down at it, pursing her lips.

"So this is personal?" she groaned.

"You have no idea." His mind filled with the things he'd heard about her love triangle with Steve and how he hated her for it. She'd chosen someone vile over his personal best friend time and time again. But while his mind clouded with dark things about her, his grip loosened and Charlotte slipped down and through his legs. When he turned, he saw she'd grabbed the table top he'd broken two days earlier, wielding it like a shield. She'd stolen fighting techniques from Steve and from Loki. She'd blended the two.

As he'd just stared at her, she brought the table top up and upper-cutted his chin with it, knocking him backwards. "Are you more inclined to talk to me now, Mr. Barnes?" she asked. He only gruffly nodded.

Charlotte took a seat at the end of a kitchen table only after Bucky did, clearly wary of him. Her tank top racer-backed and Bucky could see her shoulder blades being bared. He touched his jaw with his hand. She had a stronger arm than he would've thought she would. She was rhythmically extending her fingers on the table top, forcing her palm to be flat. Her nails were painted purple. Did they really allow stuff like that at S.H.I.E.L.D.? "Sorry about the mess. I wasn't expecting hard rain. I take it you know who I am," she said.

"Of course," he responded, wishing she'd go on and leave. "Everyone knows who you are." She looked down at the table and slyly smiled before looking at him again.

"Am I to understand you don't like me?" Charlotte was blunt but it also seemed like she didn't really care whether he did or not.

She curled her knee up and onto her chair, wrapping her arms around it. Again, it made her look childish. "The masses wouldn't like you either if they knew half of the things you did." She made a face but nodded.

"With all due respect, Mr. Barnes, you don't know me and I don't know you. I think we're starting off wrong." She seemed serious but it was just another ploy to make him follow her into headquarters. He wouldn't fall for it.

"I know everything about you, Charlotte. We don't need any introductions." She smiled at him then.

"If you just come with me without a fight, you won't ever have to deal with me again, I promise you." When Bucky didn't respond, she carried on. "Mr. Barnes, I don't know what I did to offend you and to be quite honest, I don't care. My job here is to recruit you but clearly, it's going to be difficult if you didn't respond well to Natasha." She dropped her leg and leaned forward onto the table. "And it's going to be even more difficult when you don't like me personally so why don't we break down that roadblock?" She was all smiles and Southern charm but did she honestly not know what he disliked about her?

"I don't have to talk to you. I've already said no once so you can be sure to tell your superiors that I'm not interested. Now if you would please leave." He stood to show her the door as if she would actually get up.

"You're not the slightest bit interested in seeing Steve again? In talking to him?" Bucky turned and slammed his left hand down on the table. Charlotte flinched.

"You have _no _right to talk to me about him." Charlotte leaned back in her chair and pinched her plump lips together in defeat.

"He doesn't know you're alive," she said faintly. When Bucky only stared at her, she continued on again. "If you don't wanna do this for S.H.I.E.L.D., that's fine, but Steve deserves to know."

"Well, why haven't you told him?" he demanded. But who knew how Steve would've taken it? Especially when Bucky wasn't there physically to show that it was true.

"It's not my place, Bucky." He moved back from the table when she uttered his nickname. Up to this point she'd been formal but why hadn't she called him James? The level of personal contact it meant mad him angrier at her. "Nobody said it was yours either. He's just had it hard since waking up in this time period, losing everyone he'd ever known, and I can't even imagine what he's gone through." Her voice sounded sentimental and he knew she cared for Steve.

"You look like her," he couldn't stop himself from saying. When she looked confused, he knew he couldn't go back on it. "Peggy, you remind me of her." Charlotte made herself smile but Bucky knew it was tough to be compared to a past lover. It was out before he'd thought about it. "But whatever the case, you're not worthy of him and I am not going to be an agent for your traitorous company." She'd flinched again when he'd said it, she was unworthy of Steve. She'd clearly thought it herself before.

"Traitorous?" she asked slowly. He pointed at her to show his meaning and she only looked down at herself like he was pointing to a stain. "Are you scared of me too?" she asked grimly. He made a face at her. Fear wasn't what it was for him but sure, she could be a formidable foe if wronged.

"Why aren't you in jail with your precious Asgardian?" he countered.

"That's what this is about?" she asked, her voice dropping to that bland yet seductive tone. Charlotte sounded like she had millions of secrets up her sleeve that she would never talk to him about. "You're angry I had a relationship with him and that I'm unworthy of Steve?" Bucky noticed she hadn't said Loki's name the entire time and she'd almost choked when she said "unworthy."

"And somehow, after all of the things you did to protect Loki and sabotage everyone around you, they've let you come here. They've let you ascend the ranks." Bucky had been in the army and favoritism like that just didn't fly with him. "You didn't even really fight. Steve gave you the shield, absurdly I might add, and you got a couple of lucky shots."

"Same could be said for you, Mr. Barnes. Didn't you wield the shield without permission?" She sounded bitter and angry now too. "Just because I'm not a sergeant in the army doesn't mean I'm oblivious to ways of fighting. Some are more than just blatantly shooting people. You should quit while you're ahead."

"Well, why did you choose Loki at all? He's a monster." That caused Charlotte to grit her teeth. She tried to cover it up but Bucky had seen it, he was under her skin.

"You don't know anything about him or me and I wish you'd stop pretending that you do. Months have passed since any of those incidents, Mr. Barnes. I'm a different person as I'm sure you are. Come with now or I promise, I will make you come."

"Why are you so defensive about him, Charlotte? Can't you say his name?" She narrowed her eyes. "You're still in love with him." Bucky had come to the realization slowly but it was all too clear.

"Love is for children, Mr. Barnes. What exactly is your problem with me?"

He smiled then. "You know, I believed that line more when the other agent said it. On you it just comes off fake. And my problem with you has to do with you being a traitor and it has to do with you hurting Steve." He'd edged closer to her side of the table and he noticed she was fingering one of the knives on her waist.

"I'm not perfect," she breathed, defensively. "And I certainly do not need your approval. Get in my damn car right now or I swear, I will have someone remove your fancy left arm. You got it?" she hissed. He smiled again. At least she was a bit of a fire cracker. Maybe being at S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn't be so bad and she had been right, he could see Steve. That was the only button Romanov hadn't tested.

"I'll go with you," he said and she visibly relaxed, pushing herself out of her chair.

"Rest assured, they won't dare make us work together," she responded. She led him out of the house, her pale shoulders glistening with rain water that still hadn't drained. Her file said she had a tattoo somewhere but Bucky couldn't remember the exact placement.

Once sitting in the passenger seat of her Jeep Cherokee, Charlotte made sure the doors were locked. "You try anything funny, I won't hesitate to taze you," she said. Bucky didn't bother responding. They had somewhat of a good rapport. He almost enjoyed arguing with her. "I hope you're not opposed to Maroon 5 because today I'm feeling them." He shrugged. Modern music had been one thing that had never phased Bucky. He wondered how Steve had reacted to it. "Where are the plans we made for two?" she belted along with the radio. "If happy ever after did exist, I would still be holding you like this. All those fairy tales are full of shit. One more fucking love song, I'll be sick!"

"You're an awful driver," he said, interrupting her pitiful refrain of Payphone. "And an even worse singer, if that's possible." She laughed for a minute, like she was actually friends with him.

"I can't say you're not honest." That was when her cellphone started blaring. Charlotte reached for it, accidentally brushing Bucky's bare arm and she paused, swerving the car a bit before grabbing her iPhone. "Sorry," she whispered at him. He noticed the name calling her was Jane Foster, Thor's girlfriend. "I can't talk right now," she said anxiously when she answered the phone. Her green eyes glanced at Bucky fast. "I don't know. Can you calm down? What the hell is going on?" After a few more seconds, Charlotte spoke again. "I'll be there when I can but it won't be for a while. Can you calm down and tell me what's happening?" After another pause, she went on. "I'll be there as fast as I can." She hung up and slung her phone into the backseat where Bucky noticed a large purse was sitting. "God, she can be frantic. Like I give a damn about the damn Einstein Rosen-bridge," she muttered. "You keep the forties look too, I suppose?" Bucky realized she was speaking to him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing, it's a good look. I was just wondering. The part on the side is a great look for men with shorter hair. I love it." Bucky glanced at himself in the side mirror.

"Are you flirting with me?" he asked. She choked out a laugh, making it sound like the idea was preposterous.

"Oh, get down off your high horse, Barnes. I'm just making conversation." It wasn't long and they arrived in an underground garage at S.H.I.E.L.D. "Thank you for your cooperation," she said blandly as they walked through a hallway toward one of the offices. "I'm sure you'll enjoy your time here." She gave him a mischievous smile, one that she might've stolen from Loki, and walked off, clutching her cellphone. When he turned back, a tall man with an eye patch greeted him; the man known as Nick Fury.

**-Charlotte-**

I hustled into the back of Happy's car and I texted Jane immediately. What the hell was going on? She had sounded nuts on the phone earlier, telling me it was urgent that I see something and that she'd be waiting inside Stark Tower for me. I had shrugged it off initially, thinking it was some science discovery that she assumed I should care about, but the more I thought about how anxious she had sounded, the more I realized that it might actually be serious. She didn't respond to my text.

On the way back home, I obsessively overthought my interaction with Bucky. The guy had something against me and I guess I didn't blame him. He was looking out for Steve and that was a good thing. But calling me unworthy? Insulting the way I do things? That wasn't right. Maybe we'd just gotten off on the bad foot and he was angry at S.H.I.E.L.D. for sending someone else so soon after Natasha had made contact. He could be lashing out from recently recovering from amnesia. Whatever, I'd worry about him later.

I strode into the building after walking through another rain storm and I waved at the secretary at the desk. I ran into Bruce at the elevators and he handed me a piece of pizza from a box when we boarded. "How did it go?" he asked. I shrugged.

"He doesn't like me," I said, swallowing a bite of pizza. God, this was delicious. "He thought I acted like Loki and he said I was unworthy of Steve. I said, 'tell me something I don't know.'" Bruce smirked.

"He didn't mean it."

"You didn't see him." The numbers on the elevator dinged and I walked off, taking another huge bite of pizza. "Have you heard from Jane? What the hell is happening?" Bruce shrugged this time.

"Tony told me something was going on and that I should get pizza. That's all I know."

"Weird," I muttered, throwing my key into the lock to our apartment and twirling it without dropping my pizza. "I mean, she called me while I was still with Bucky," I said, following Bruce into the apartment. "I just don't know what could possibly be so-" My voice cut off and the piece of pizza I'd been sloppily eating had fallen to the ground along with my purse. I heard Bruce gasp beside me. This wasn't real. This couldn't possibly be real.

Jane was standing in the living room beside Tony and beside… Thor. I took off running and threw myself into Thor's arms, trying hard not to cry. He picked me up off my feet and I thought he might twirl me. When Thor's large hand touched my bare shoulder, a memory of his shocked through me. A childhood memory with Odin and Loki. "When I'm king, I'll hunt the monsters down and slay them all!" My small arms made a movement and I saw child-Loki staring at me before Odin spoke.

Thor let me go abruptly and I finally let myself get a good look at him. He seemed exhausted and he looked upset. "I have something grave to ask of you, Charlotte," he said. I wanted to absorb every bit of that booming voice that I could.

"What's going on?" I asked back. His blue eyes clouded over and Jane, beside him, looked nervous. Tony appeared to not know what was going on either.

"Loki's trial has not been going well." My heart pounded. That was the first real news of Loki in months and it was apparently bad. I nodded. "I fear they may send him to the Silent Realm unless someone can convince the Allfather otherwise. I have done all I can do and being the brother of Loki, my word is not taken for much. You must come to Asgard, Charlotte. Loki needs your help. He needs a witness to show he is not fully evil. You are the only help he could possibly receive. Will you do us both that favor and return home with me?"

**Whoo. Okay, a new chapter really soon. I did not expect to update again so soon. But here it is. It's late where I am so if my editing is off, please tell me. And please tell e how you feel so far!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm sorry for the long wait! The Internet at my house has been out and the only way I'm updating right now is because I'm at a friend's. I'm going out of town next week though so I may be able to update then. At any rate, I hope my Internet gets fixed soon. I can't wait to hear your feedback! And as usual, I don't own anything except Charlotte.**

I backed away from Thor slowly, as my mind flashed to the dream I'd had about Loki the night before and grabbed the glass of Scotch that Tony had been clutching, downing it. "Alright, okay. I can't promise you miracles but I can try," I said, returning the glass to Tony's still open hand. He appeared actually shocked by the entire ordeal and it was a rare thing to ruffle his feathers. But all at once, he had snapped out of the trance he was in.

"Are you insane?" Tony demanded. "You can't just up and go to another realm! What if you die? What are we supposed to tell Clint and Fury and Coulson? You can't just leave!"

"I'm sorry but I have to try, if only because Thor asked me to," I said. Thor looked visibly happier by my answer.

"Jane and I will await you outside," said Thor, gesturing to Tony's balcony. "I cannot tell you how relieved I am to hear that you are willing to do this for me." I shook my head at him.

"It's nothing. I probably owe you anyway." When Thor turned, Tony and Bruce approached me fast.

"You _owe _him, Charlotte?" Tony practically hissed at me. "What about you _owing _me for oh, I don't know, saving your damn life when you practically broke your neck wrecking a motorcycle? You can't go. I won't let you." I almost laughed but it was clear Tony was to the point of absolute desperation.

"What the hell are you so worried about, Tony?" I asked lowly, not wanting Thor to overhear. But it was clear from the way the three of us were huddled together that the conversation about Asgard probably wasn't pleasant.

"A human has never gone to Asgard before, Charlotte," said Bruce. "There may be something about that world that's volatile to you. Dr. Selvig told me when we were studying the scepter together that there was some rule about humans not being able to stay in Asgard longer than a couple of weeks without grievous consequences." Tony nodded eagerly beside him like he had already known this.

"Well, there has to be some sort of loophole with that," I said. A trial like the one Loki is facing still won't be done in two weeks if trials are done in Asgard anything like they're done on Earth.

"The only loophole Erik mentioned was marriage. You have to marry an Asgardian to truly be considered one of them." My stomach dropped and I'm sure my face showed it.

"If you were gonna go, which you're not," said Tony, "you would have monitor your days and be back here within two weeks. Otherwise, you might be killed and I don't want that on my mind, okay?"

"Well, I have to go, Tony. There's no way around it. I've already agreed and I might be saving his life," I said. "I don't expect either of you to understand because you hate him but I'm not gonna stay here and let it play out now that I know I could have a hand in it. If I go and what I say means nothing then at the very least, I tried." Tony closed his eyes sharply and groaned.

"What are we supposed to do about Steve if he calls you? Hell, what are supposed to tell anyone?"

"Shit, I don't know. You're gonna have to say I'm sick with something, the flu or something that would majorly prevent me from training. I don't care if you tell Clint where I am, he'll find out when I'm back anyway but Fury can't know and don't you dare tell Steve." Tony and Bruce both made a face. "What?"

"It's none of my business but is lying to Steve going to make your imminent relationship any better?" I rolled my eyes.

"If you tell him while he's got some important mission from S.H.I.E.L.D. to do, he could lose focus and then he could get hurt. Use some common sense for once, Tony, and do me this one favor," I begged. Bruce nodded at me.

"Be conscious of time constraints," Bruce said, "and don't get engaged while you're gone." I knew he was joking but it certainly didn't feel like one and it made it finally sink in that I was leaving the planet and that I was going to see Loki again, however briefly.

"I'll get some stuff together quick and I'll be back in under five minutes," I said, grabbing another piece of pizza before hurrying down the hall into my room with my purse. I kept several things in it, like my first aid kit that had so come in handy in New Mexico and random other necessities. For some reason, throwing a roll of toilet paper in too seemed like a fabulous idea. I grabbed a couple more shirts and threw them in before making myself calm down by doing several breathing exercises.

Eventually, I clutched the handles of my purse and made my way down the hall and out onto the balcony where the four of them were enjoying the pizza with Tony hanging up his phone. My hands were shaking fast but I wouldn't back out of this. It was clear that Thor needed me to do this and Loki needed me to do this.

"Great timing," said Tony. "That was Agent Coulson saying your next mission will be with your new partner, Agent Barnes." My mouth dropped open. "Partners" on a regular day at S.H.I.E.L.D. simply meant people who regularly worked on missions together. Clint and Natasha were the prime example. Being assigned a partner pretty much meant that you had to work with that person multiple times until they switched you over to a new partner. But most of the time, that rarely happened. Partners stayed together for years during their careers as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

"That's impossible," I said. "He absolutely hated me." Actually, come to think of it, I'm not sure "hate" is a strong enough word for the way Bucky feels towards me.

"I'm sure it wasn't like he put in a request for you or anything. All Coulson said was that your files indicated partnering up would suit the two of you." I rolled my eyes. Another thing Coulson did just to piss me off. I wonder how Bucky had taken it, probably not well. "But the good news is that you can avoid him for a while." I nodded and turned to Thor, who remarkably hadn't vanished. It was still hard for me to believe that he was actually there.

"Heimdall says you have a new ability," said Thor. I nodded. Creepy as it was, knowing someone was watching me generally all the time, it did make me feel good to know that Thor knew what was happening. "Is it your skin?" I nodded again. Thor offered me his hand eagerly, awaiting his chance for me to see one of his memories. Reluctantly, I grabbed it and swirled into a memory that must have been recent.

It was some dark place, maybe even a cell, and I, as Thor in his memory, felt terribly guilty for confining Loki here. It was then that I noticed he was even in the room. My breath sucked in and I gripped Thor's hand tighter. Loki looked sickly, as he had in the cell before he left Earth, and Thor grabbed his neck. I wanted to make the motion with my own hand. At that moment, Loki's face drew up in contempt. "Did you mourn me?" he asked, gazing at me intensely with bright eyes. I released him, feeling terribly hurt and responded, "We all did."

I pulled away from Thor's hand and rubbed my face with my hands. "We all did what?" asked Tony.

"I'm sorry?" I said slowly. It was then that I realized I'd said it out loud, the part in Thor's memory when he'd spoken. Thor looked at me knowingly and I understood that he knew which memory I'd seen.

"This could help you in Asgard," said Thor. I didn't see how but I trusted him. "Jane is coming with us." My mind whirled. Sure, I'd wondered why Jane was here other than to see Thor briefly but I was immediately glad to hear that another normal person would be in Asgard with me. Looking past Thor, I saw Jane standing there, eagerly waiting.

"Well, what exactly is the status of what's going on? I mean, what am I walking into?" I asked. Tony and Bruce leaned closer, obviously wanting to know just as much as I did.

"Loki is confined to solitary quarters that diminish his magic when the Allfather is not having the public trial and during the proceedings, he has to wear the muzzle." I tried to puzzle that out. How were they expected to have a trial if they didn't even let Loki speak for himself? "My mother has been fairly lenient with him and just a few days ago, she and my father agreed to let him take his meals with us and the Lady Sif and the Warriors Three." Gosh, that had to be embarrassing for him. "But as I said, his trial is not ending in his favor and I fear there is much I still have not told you, Charlotte. But if you and I can convince them of a lesser sentence, it will not matter." I nodded.

"Well, you can tell me that stuff later. But like I said, I can't promise you miracles. I don't think I know a piece of evidence that your father probably doesn't know. But I'm willing to try," I said. Thor gave me a weak smile and took Jane's hand. She smiled at me too.

"I only wish that your coming to Asgard was under better circumstances." I shook my head.

"I'm excited to be going at all. I'm sure Jane is."

"Imagine all of the things we'll get to see, Charlotte," she said. "It's going to be amazing." I nodded and tried to smile. Of course, it was going to be amazing for Jane. She was going to visit what will probably be her future home. I was going to make sure Loki didn't get sent off into a realm of no return.

I moved to hug Tony, trying not to press too hard on his arc reactor. I doubted pressure would do anything to it but I didn't want to risk it. Then I hugged Bruce. "Don't rent out my room while I'm gone," I said.

"I won't if you don't fall back in love with that psycho," whispered Tony. I didn't think Thor heard it; he was too absorbed in Jane to notice. I just clenched my jaw and nodded.

"I'm not gonna make you any promises."

"I'm serious," he said. Bruce nodded beside him. "As much as I don't like Steve, I was really hoping you'd get together."

"I don't have the time to be thinking about 'getting together' with anyone. You just don't tell him anything and keep my cover at S.H.I.E.L.D." I moved away from them.

"Good luck," said Bruce. I gulped and nodded.

Thor offered me his hand and shaking, I took it. I felt relief when touching his hand didn't give me any memory at all. Maybe I was getting used to it. "Travel this way will be jolting for you both," said Thor. "I will do my best to keep you steady." Jane and I nodded at him and I closed my eyes when I felt him jerk me closer. I didn't hear what he said but Thor called out and I felt a rush. My stomach felt like it was in my throat, my head started pounding, and a loud whirring noise was making me want to scream. I clutched closer to Thor and I barely opened my eyes enough to see a swirl of different colors surrounding us before I tightly closed them again. Just when I thought it would go on forever, everything stopped.

I crashed down onto something that felt like glass and slid until I clutched the edge of it. I finally opened my eyes and saw that I was looking down at dark water. I gasped. I felt a hand on my back and I scooted away from the edge. When I looked over, I saw Thor and Jane. At their feet, and where I was sitting, was the glass expanse I'd crash landed on. It was a multitude of colors and it lit up when I touched it.

Thor helped me to my feet and I grabbed him fast, feeling dizzy, when I looked behind him. We were actually on the Rainbow Bridge and I was staring at a dark expanse of space with constellations that were indeed different than our own. I started shaking when I saw where the bridge crumbled and ended abruptly. Loki had fallen from there.

Then my eyes focused in on a figure clad in gold, standing tall, watching us. Thor put his hand to my face and made me look at him. "Are you alright?" he asked. I nodded slowly before turning back to the man. Thor let me go abruptly and turned to him. "Heimdall, our trip was quite a success." I gasped again. That was Heimdall. He was the gatekeeper.

"Jane," I whispered, moving my arm to try to get her attention.

"Charlotte," I heard her respond quietly, "are you seeing this?" I finally turned from staring at where the bridge ended and I gasped yet again. Down the long road of the bridge was Asgard and it was every bit as magnificent as I'd imagined. It looked exactly the way it had always been described to me. It was glamorous and golden and filled with light. It looked huge. I couldn't wait to see it all up close.

"Oh, my God," I breathed. "It's gorgeous." Staring at it, I felt like the human I was and even though it was beyond beautiful, I automatically got the feeling that I didn't belong; almost like I was too much of a bumpkin to be respected here.

Feeling Thor grab my arm, I turned back again and was face-to-face with Heimdall. He was just as tall as Thor and Loki were and was evidently, strong. "Charlotte Kent, I would like to welcome you to Asgard." His voice sent chills down my spine and I nodded at him, gratefully. "It is an honor to finally meet you." I nodded again.

"It's good to meet you too," I said. It was odd to think that this man had probably been focusing in and out of my life for months, even before Thor and Loki returned home. "I've heard a lot about what you can do." Holy hell, his eyes were as gold as his helmet.

"And I have seen a lot of what you can do. But I also know that it is imminent that you return to the palace, Thor." Heimdall turned to look at Thor and I backed away. When Thor introduced Jane and I'm sure she got the same creepy feeling that I did, I leaned over the side of the bridge again, staring at the dark water.

I was pulled away from the edge by Thor and he kept a grip on my arm as he started walking faster. Jane was practically running to keep up and I already felt out of breath. "What's going on?" Jane asked.

"I will take you to your room first, Jane," said Thor, "but Charlotte, you must enter the throne room immediately. They are finishing things for the day and they may be settling on a sentence. You must show yourself."

"How am I supposed to do that without you?" I asked desperately. I couldn't imagine bumbling around lost in that great golden palace, just waiting to be gutted by their guards for looking suspicious. How would they take me seriously if I just waltzed in on their proceedings? How would I take seeing Loki again for the first time in months? I felt sick just thinking about it.

"You must. My father knows your name and if you must show them your strength, you should." I opened my mouth but only some noise seemed to come out.

"I am nowhere near as strong as an Asgardian. Surely, you know that, Thor. They could throw me across the room and kill me before you ever noticed. I need you by my side." He must've sensed the desperation in my voice because he stopped walking and he put his hands to my face. I tried to shake away from the memory the touch wanted to send me.

"I have faith in you, Charlotte. You will not be alone long. I just do not believe they should see Jane at the moment they see you." Maybe he had a point there. I put my hands on his forearms and nodded.

"We're still partners, okay?" I said. "You still need to look out for me here." He smiled and nodded, moving away from me.

"Jane will join us at the feast tonight as will you."

"There's going to be a feast?" asked Jane. I could only imagine how excited she was to explore. I wish I was that giddy about it.

"A feast?" I said at the same time. Jane and I's perspectives on the idea of a feast couldn't be farther from each other. She probably couldn't wait to meet all of these people and visit with the ones she already knew, like Sif and the Warriors Three. All I would see is people who pushed Loki to be at the point he was at.

"It will be a fantastic experience," he said jovially, clapping me on the back. The force of it pushed me forward. "I cannot wait for you to meet my friends, Charlotte. It will be a marvelous time for the three of us. But first, we must take you to the throne room."

The three of us walked fast towards the end of the bridge and I almost took off running. I wanted it done. The belt on my hips padded against me and I had forgotten I still had it on. I silently thanked God that I hadn't taken it off. I knew they weren't just going to let me walk in and talk to Odin. Thor was right; I would have to show my strength and where physicality failed me, my knives never did.

We arrived in front of huge gilded gold doors after Thor had hastened us down an open-air hallway that had been breathtaking. The architecture of the place was what made it fascinating. But I could admire what it looked like later. Right now, I had a job to do. "I will be back here as soon as I can be," Thor said.

"I won't keep him long," said Jane. She seemed to sense the urgency of the situation and for that, I was grateful. I wondered if hiding her in a room would matter that much. She could just come in with us, couldn't she? Well, Thor was mostly right. The focus was going to have to be on me. Seeing Jane too would probably shock them too much and Thor knew that. So I nodded at Jane and waved them off. I could do this by myself for at least a little while.

Thor gave me a solid nod and walked off with Jane, their hands entwined. I gulped before wrapping my fingers around the handle of the tall door. I heard voices inside and I silently prayed that this wouldn't go over badly for me. I pulled hard and the heavy door opened slightly and I slid in.

I pressed my back to it firmly when I noticed that the door seemed to be shaded. I needed to get my bearings. First off, I noticed that there were a great many people here; many more than I would've expected. But that could probably boil down to curiosity about Loki; how one of their own could've committed such heinous crimes. Many of them looked important. Did they have some specific hierarchy here? I wasn't all that sure. My eyes scanned the room fast. At the front of the absolutely huge room was a golden throne that you had to go up stairs to reach. I didn't need someone to tell me who the older man with an eye patch sitting in it was. I recognized Odin. A gorgeous woman stood to the left of him and I figured that was Frigga. They were heatedly talking to each other; I could see that from the back of the room. But then I moved forward from the shadows near the door and craned my neck. I had to see him. Sure enough, Loki was sitting at the front of the room with his hands chained and the metal gag on his mouth. I gasped for what was probably the fifth time that day. He actually didn't look that bad considering the circumstances. He still looked as though he was in a cold sweat but his eyes had lost that eerie tesseract blue.

I hadn't gone unnoticed. The guards standing near me moved at the sight of me so I started running down the middle of the throne room. People were assembled on either side of the aisle and even though I was several feet away from them, some of them flinched back. Odin's attention turned where I was and all of a sudden my feet were ripped from under me, pulling me back. I yelped when I hit the ground and pulled a blade from it's hiding place on my belt, slipping it between my fingers as my hand closed in a fist. I was yanked up and I forced the blade near the guard's throat without pressing down. I heard a multitude of gasps but I kept focused on the guard. "Let me go," I threatened.

He loosened his grip but I turned to only be faced with a group of them. I rolled my eyes, throwing the blade I'd been holding into one of their legs and I pulled out two others before running and slipping through one of their legs. "I am Charlotte Kent of Midgard!" I said loudly, not bothering to get up. I heard their gasps but I didn't let them phase me. I moved to one knee and, still clutching one of my knives, put my right hand in a fist and placed it on my heart. Thank goodness, I knew that much about their custom. "I am here to witness for Loki Laufeyson's trial." When one of the guards approached me, I threw out my right arm and thrust up the blade. "Don't bother."

I looked up to see that Loki was now standing and staring at me in absolute disbelief. I dropped both of my knives and didn't resist when I was pulled to my feet and my belt was ripped off. "You better not lose that," I said.

The doors at the back of the throne room opened and I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing it was Thor. "Release her!" I heard a strong voice say. I expected it to be Thor but then I noticed that the command had come from Odin. I was dropped from the hold and I found Thor to be at my side. He put his hand on my lower back and urged me forward.

I felt a sickening amount of dread, like I was heading into another press conference. I didn't do well with people staring at me and I didn't like talking to a bunch of them. I could only do it when Steve was around and there was no way Steve could help me in Asgard. And the way these people looked at me was like I was a caged tiger or something akin to it. It was clear that most of them thought I was dangerous. How many of them knew who I actually was? I walked slowly, my combat boots ticking on the floor and I tried to ignore the fact that all of them were whispering. Look at the clothes I was wearing, what kind of pants I had on, and the boots were really confusing. I felt severely underdressed. But more than anything, they were all staring at my hair, how short it was. My hands started shaking uncontrollably when I saw how all of the women's hair was waist long and every single one of them was gorgeous. I'd never felt so embarrassed and haggard in my life.

I looked at Thor but he was simply smiling and looking happy. I wasn't sure whether or not it was a front. But the fear was probably fairly plain on my face. I had been more comfortable attempting to take down one of their guards than I was in talking to them. When I turned, I locked my gaze on Loki and I tried to muster a smile. He just continued to look shocked.

I heard a noise and I turned my head quickly. Thor waved at whoever had made it and I noticed three men; one huge and burly, one small and clearly skilled, one beyond handsome. Standing beside them was one of the most beautiful women I'd ever laid eyes on and I simply looked down at myself, regretting wearing some simple tank top and jeans. I figured they were Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. Sif was staring at me in some sort of disbelief and all three of the men couldn't look away, like they'd paid to see me.

Thankfully, we reached the bottom of the stairs and Thor dropped to one knee, pressing his right fist to his heart but I remained standing, as if in a daze. Odin moved forward and I looked away from him because I couldn't tell whether he was angry that I was there or not. My eyes fixed on Loki's and I felt sick to my stomach. I had missed him so so much. It was impossible to imagine how much I'd missed having him around. I'd felt the same pull towards Steve and Thor but I was always certain I'd see them again at some undisclosed time in the future. I had doubted that there was even a small chance of seeing Loki again in my lifetime. Yet here I was, trying to help him yet again.

"Father," Thor began, "Lady Charlotte has travelled a long way to aid my brother in his trial. Her information may be vital in the conclusions you draw." Lady Charlotte? Damn, we were getting fancy. I tried to hide my reaction to it but I doubted it went unnoticed. I saw that Frigga was staring at me but she wasn't trying to analyze me the way the crowd had been.

"Is this true, Lady Charlotte?" Odin's voice rang out and the last of the whispers died down. My heart felt like it had actually stopped beating. I nodded my head.

"I'll help in any way I can. And I'm sorry about hurting your guard. I wasn't… I wasn't thinking straight," I said. "Sometimes I don't know what I'm capable of." Odin actually didn't look mad at me. He actually appeared to be pleased I was there, if that was possible. He might have been smiling at me.

"We will accommodate you in all of the ways you need. I am sure that Thor can show you your quarters. I am pleased to finally meet you." I gulped and nodded.

"Father, Lady Jane has accompanied us as well," said Thor. "She is in her rooms." Frigga smiled at that and Odin really did seem pleased; there was no mistaking the emotion this time.

"The two of you shall join us at a feast in your honor tonight." In our honor? What the hell? There was no way that I would stand up and make some speech in front of these people while Loki sat there gagged. I was here for business, not to humiliate him or me any further. If Jane and Thor wanted to enjoy their pheasant's leg, they can feel free.

But I smiled and nodded anyway, attempting to slowly back away. I was in no rush to start dishing out information I may or may not have. I turned and looked at Loki once more. I felt something catch in me and I felt an automatic pull to go toward him. Thor must've sensed it because he gripped my arm and I got sucked away immediately.

I was in that dark dingy cell again and I was facing Loki, talking about Heimdall who was keeping an eye on me sometimes. I shook my head and tried to pull back. Thor was talking about me and my knives, how I was clearly taking after Loki, and Loki didn't respond at all. He only stared forward.

I choked out of it and Thor loosened his grip. "I apologize. I had forgotten," he whispered. I shook my head. Luckily, I think the only other person who had noticed I was different was Loki. His eyes were large and I felt sorry for him.

"This is dismissed," said Odin. "I will reconvene tomorrow." I heard everyone slowly leaving and Loki was pulled up harshly and started to be taken out of the room. He looked back at me several times.

"See that he is at the feast," said Frigga. Her voice was just as beautiful as she was.

"Where do they take him?" I asked lowly.

"Later," said Thor as Frigga made her way down the steps towards us. I sucked in my breath when I saw that I was the object she sought. "I placed your bag in your rooms, Charlotte." He clapped me on the back once again and moved away.

"I will help you change," Frigga said, taking me by the hand and leading me out of the throne room. Her touch made me receive a memory of Loki killing some creature that had to be a Frost Giant, claiming his death came by a son of Odin. She then embraced him and I tried to hold onto that for a long while. But the memory itself confused me. When had that happened? What did it mean? "I have heard so much about you and when Thor told me he wished to bring you here, I was in complete agreement. I fear that Thor and I are the only ones willing to forgive Loki."

"You knew I was coming?" I asked. I couldn't imagine how crass I must sound to her.

"Yes. Thor brought the idea to me last night and I am pleased that he could bring Jane." I nodded and smiled.

"Thanks for helping me," I said. She smiled sweetly at me and I knew it was completely genuine.

We entered, what I assumed, were her chambers and I saw Jane was there, awaiting us. "What a genuine pleasure, Lady Jane," she said, approaching Jane much in the way she had with me. After they spoke for a moment, she turned back to us. "I will have ladies attend you both in the morning but as of the moment, I can only offer you dresses." Jane nodded eagerly.

They soon discovered that ladies would have to help us into the elaborate gowns that were so common to Asgard. Someone helped me in a daze and said nothing to me until I felt her grip my hand. She was staring at my nail polish. I forgot that they had probably never seen anything like it. "It's um, it's nail polish," I said to her. "You can get it in any color you want on Midgard. It's really fun." She nodded at me but again, said nothing. Was everyone here afraid of me?

I couldn't ignore how obvious the dresses were. Mine was emerald green with gold complements while Jane's was red with silver. Bile started to rise in my throat. Frigga made us sit down and have our hair braided next. I was probably a huge disappointment compared to Jane. It was out of my control, how short my hair was, but I didn't doubt that Frigga knew the story. At any rate, they fixed my hair to look like it was secured at the base of my neck and had somehow managed to braid pieces of it anyway.

When I looked at Jane after we were finally prepared, she looked gorgeous. I actually think she looked better in an Asgardian dress than she did in regular clothes. She belonged here. When I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror though, I didn't look bad. I actually think the dress was fairly flattering but of course, that could've been due to the color.

Not even two hours in and I was missing Earth terribly.

I heard a knock at the doors to Frigga's room and I knew instinctively that it was Thor. When he walked in, he looked radiant and handsome. Yet again, I felt a pang at how lucky a woman Jane was. I knew she had to be ecstatic to be seeing him again and to actually be here. His metallic outfit sparkled like it was brand new and he swept Jane into his arms playfully, telling her how beautiful she looked. I had to admit I was jealous. No relationship I had would be playful like that, would it? It just would never be simple.

"Charlotte, you are gorgeous! You should have joined us in Asgard long ago!" Thor proclaimed, sweeping me into a hug just as wonderful as Jane's. I couldn't keep the smile off my face. Thor had an incredible way of making me feel fantastic.

"Thank you and look at you! You're such a handsome devil," I said back. I was grateful the dress covered my back and my arms. I didn't want any unintentional physical contact. Thor's memories were hard for me to get through and even sort of hard to understand.

"The feast is going to begin shortly. I thought we could arrive early. Charlotte is not fond of being the center of attention." I mouthed my thanks at him once Frigga and Jane accepted.

I was lucky I would have people to lead me everywhere because the palace itself was like it's own city. I doubted I would be allowed to wander around alone anyway since all of the Aesir seemed scared of what I could do. I'm not even sure of what I did. Sure, I'd pulled out my knives but I'd barely even used them. I dropped them once I let their court (or whatever they wanted to call it) know who I was. Shit, they better have not lost my tool belt with all of my weapons in it. Tony had made those knives specifically for me.

"Where'd they put my knives, Thor?" I asked. Frigga didn't seem fazed, which I thought was odd. But Jane looked shocked that I'd had them at all.

"You actually used them?" she asked. I shrugged.

"Thor told me to show my strength if I had to and I felt like I had to." Jane almost rolled her eyes. She'd never been fond of me training to begin with.

"I will have them returned to your quarters," said Thor, "but I do not think you should wear them."

"Well, I don't have to have them on but Tony made them for me and I'm fond of them so I'd like to know they're not confiscated for long." Thor shook his head.

"I believe they are simply looking at them. One in particular caught the guards' attention. But I will return them to you tonight." I knew which one had caught the guards' attention; it was the one Bruce had found and analyzed from Tony's balcony. They had found the blade that was Loki's. I wasn't sure how they could possibly know that it was any different than any of my other knives. They all looked fairly similar and had the gem in common. My unique blades, that were curved or even long, all seemed to look alike. Of course, I knew which one had belonged to Loki and maybe they were familiar with his stuff.

I made a face but nodded anyway. "I'm not gonna kill anyone, I promise." Jane laughed a little which made me relax.

Frigga opened the doors that we came to and revealed something that resembled the throne room in appearance. I held my breath, almost tearing holes in my new dress. Luckily, there weren't many people there yet. A huge table was up some stairs, like the throne had been and on the floor were four long tables. I took it in easily. It reminded me of the great hall in Hogwarts.

I walked with Frigga to the front of the room while Thor and Jane hung back to talk to someone. I started sweating when I noticed people staring at me like they had earlier. Frigga took my hand again and nodded at me. "Do not be so nervous, dear," she said. I closed my eyes and counted to five before opening them again, a trick I'd learned that nearly always calmed me down. Frigga went to her place at the table up the stairs, where all the seats faced the room, after encouraging me to stand at the bottom so that I could meet people.

It might've seemed like a good idea to her at the time but no one at all approached me, which I was slightly grateful for. My breath caught in my throat as I saw Loki being led into the room by his guards and I took a step forward before thinking better. No one at all probably even looked at him when he was in here and my reputation was clearly already down the drain. No matter how badly I wanted to, I wouldn't be able to speak to him in public.

When they made him sit down, it was at the end of the table nearest me, and I took a deep breath. He didn't have on the muzzle luckily and I didn't suppress the smile that was creeping onto my face. He gave me a sly one in return.

Thor jerked me from my trance. When I turned to him, I noticed the room was practically full and Jane was talking with Frigga and Odin. Thor had brought with him the people I assumed were Sif and the Warriors Three. I gulped when I took them in again. Every one of them was clearly superior to me in every way. But I forced a smile anyway.

"Lady Charlotte, these are my greatest friends, the Lady Sif and the Warriors Three," said Thor. "This is Volstagg." The extremely tall man with a lot of hair nodded at me. "This is Fandral." The handsome one offered me his hand and I took it reluctantly. He kissed my knuckles and my face must've been shocked because Thor held back a laugh. "This is Hogun." The littlest one that I thought was clearly skilled nodded and I nodded back. All three of them seemed cool. "And of course, this is the Lady Sif." Sif smiled down at me and I held my breath. She was gorgeous and prettier in armor than most women were in gowns.

"I am so glad to finally meet you," said Sif. "Heimdall has told us so much about you." So they had known who I was when I walked in the room earlier. How strange to think about it. I wonder what all they'd heard.

"Forgive me for saying so," said Volstagg, "but you are much prettier than we expected." I snorted out a laugh.

"Compared to all the women here, I'm like chopped liver or something," I said. They clearly didn't understand the expression so I just went on. "But I'm glad to hear that I exceeded expectations."

"It is just that Loki has never been with a woman before," said Fandral and he was clearly the expert in that field.

"We expected a complete hag," said Volstagg, laughing to himself. The expression drained from my face and I tried to muster a smile. Loki could hear them.

"Well, I-I hope I'm not one," I responded.

"Impossible," said Thor, shaking his head fervently. I laughed at him.

"You do remind me of him, to be quite honest," said Fandral.

"How old are you? You seem so young… and small," asked Volstagg. Sif rolled her eyes.

"I'm 27," I said. "How old are you?" Fandral and Sif laughed then, like I'd made some hilarious joke. I smirked a little.

"Much older than you would think," he responded. I figured as much.

"You look marvelous in your gown," said Sif, changing the subject. "The color is perfect for you."

"Thanks," I said, vacantly touching my hair, making sure it hadn't fallen to pieces.

"Do you like it here so far?" I laughed a little.

"Yeah, it's really different than Midgard, that's for sure. It'll take some getting used to. But a lot of people have been staring at me and it makes me feel really weird. I guess it's because I'm so different." Thor shook his head again, obviously trying to make me feel better but I knew it was true. I'd stood alone, being scrutinized, while he and Jane were treated like the royalty they are. Had Loki's reputation been transferred to me too?

"Oh, they know who you are!" said Volstagg. "Like I said, we all highly doubted Loki would ever find _anyone _and you are better than anything we could have expected." I must've had my deer in the headlights look because Thor put his hand on my arm and looked down at me with a protective look. I turned and saw Loki simply staring down at the table in front of him. "It is not all you either. It's your hair." I nodded slowly.

"That's what everyone looked at earlier. It made me wish it was longer," I muttered.

"They know how it was cut," said Hogun, finally speaking. My face fell. Sif gave me an understanding look.

"I know how it feels," she said.

"But those knives!" said Fandral. "You are incredibly skilled with them." I shook my head.

"Not at all," I said, raising my hand and shaking it. "I'm not as good as I'm sure ya'll are." Thor grabbed my hand, sucking me into a memory I didn't want but I pushed it back immediately. Damn, I was getting good.

"What are these?" he asked, tracing scars on the hand I was holding.

"It's from when I first started training with the knives. I'd flip them and they cut me every time. But now, I'm pretty good so that doesn't happen anymore."

"You are going to have to show us how good you are," said Volstagg. "Join us at practice soon. I would like to see you take on Sif." I shook my head fervently.

"Oh, hell no, I could never hope to even try," I said.

"Loki could not either," said Sif proudly.

"Well, in that case, I have to show him up in something," I replied. Thor laughed and Sif and the Warriors Three seemed pleased.

"I am going to make sure he can watch," Sif said, nodding in Loki's direction.

"Hel, when is the food going to be served?" said Volstagg. "I am starved."

"When are you not?" asked Fandral. I liked all of them quite a bit. I could tell we'd get along.

I heard something and turned, noticing it was Odin telling everyone to take their seats. Sif and the Warriors Three nodded at me before moving away from us. Thor took my hand and guided me up the stairs and to a seat beside him and beside Frigga. Jane was sitting on his other side. "Loki usually sits where you are," said Thor. I nodded slowly, sitting down beside him, still clutching his hand. When I glanced up from the table, I gazed over at Loki, who was looking at me as he had been the whole time. He still couldn't quite believe Thor had brought me here.

"I want to see him," I whispered.

"I know," was all the response I got from Thor.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone! Sorry for the long wait again. My Internet is still not fully fixed so I'm trying to update when I can (I don't even know what the problem is). But I got an interesting question from Fiskars in a review and I would've replied via message but they weren't logged in. They asked whether I listen to music when I write chapters and I do. A lot of times music gives me my best ideas regarding anything I write. **

**But for this fic, this group Digital Daggers has really helped me recently and I always choreograph fight scenes listening to Skrillex or something like that. For Your Equal, I had so many fight scenes in my mind and only a couple actually made it in so I hope to include more in this sequel. But yeah, Fear The Fever by Digital Daggers and Bad Intentions by them too are really good and really help me with getting into characters' heads and in Your Equal I always listened to some Adele or really heartbreaking songs and I have no idea why but they were really inspiring. Haha, but as usual, I only own Charlotte.**

The room was silenced when Odin began speaking again. I squeezed Thor's hand for reassurance and I was secretly glad he was one of the only people I knew who didn't mind close physical contact. I needed the support and Thor's skin was warm and the only memories I'd felt from him since sitting down were happy ones from his childhood. I could manage that.

Loki openly slumped in his seat when Odin spoke, still bitter. His pale skin looked luminescent in the dying sunlight and his eyes glittered as he looked between me and Thor cautiously. He was probably sensing how nervous I was and I knew he'd seen me change after seeing one of Thor's memories earlier. Thor probably hadn't had the time to tell him something had happened to me before he arrived on Earth for me and Jane. I wondered if Thor was the only one who visited Loki. That would be sad if it was true and frankly, I knew it had to be. Loki had been clear that he'd never been favored here, even by he and Thor's mutual friends. People tired of his trickery and games easily. Somehow, people had sensed he was different from the beginning.

"This feast is in honor of our two guests from the realm of Midgard," Odin's booming voice continued. I turned my head and stared at him, holding my breath when I realized he'd been looking at me, Jane, and Thor this entire time. "Thor's favored companion, the Lady Jane Foster." Odin had extended his hand to show Jane off and she stood up at Frigga's nodding. My nails dug into Thor's skin and my other hand shook so uncontrollably that I put it under my thigh on the grand chair. What would my moniker be? Surely not "Loki's favored companion" or anything of the sort.

Meanwhile, Jane received applause and she graciously smiled before sitting down again. She turned and looked at me, giving me a face that showed she'd been as nervous as I was. "And the woman who saved my younger son's life, the Lady Charlotte Kent." I heard Loki make a noise of disgust at being described as Odin's son. I stood, still keeping Thor's hand in mine, and smiled. I was good at acting. I certainly knew how to look pleased. It was part of my job description. But it was hard to pretend when the only acknowledgement I seemed to get was from Sif, the Warriors Three, and Frigga.

I sank down into my chair quickly and tried not to openly sob. I couldn't appeal to these people. They hated me as much as they hated Loki. I didn't belong here, that was obvious enough. I let go of Thor's hand finally and I ran my hands over my dress to stop their incessant shaking. I didn't hear Odin tell everyone to begin eating and sit down. In fact, I was barely registering where I was. I put my hand to my throat as Thor leaned closer to me.

He put his hand to my face, as he'd done so many times, and put his mouth to my ear. "You will make them love you the way you charmed me. It is only a matter of time before they give in to your skills and your voice and all of your other delicate Midgardian charms. They _will _love you, Charlotte," he whispered. I nodded slowly.

When he moved back, I pulled him back closer, this time forcing my mouth to his ear while touching his neck. "How do they know about me, Thor? How could they possibly know anything? Why do they hate me?" I whispered. I knew this wasn't dinner table conversation and it looked like we were drawing some kind of attention. I felt Loki's eyes burning into the back of my dress but I didn't stop touching Thor.

Thor pulled back but pressed our foreheads against each other. "They do not hate you, Charlotte. How could they? You are a hero. I have all but said it hundreds of times in front of everyone." I nodded again, already reassured. Thor had that gift. "We will speak fully later."

"Thank you for helping me, Thor," I said when he pulled back. "I owe you."

"You owe me nothing. I only want your help for Loki's behalf."

"You didn't tell him I was coming, did you? He was so shocked. When you told me to come with you, I thought he'd asked himself. And you would never tell me but your memories… I don't think he's pleased. I don't think he cares." Thor grabbed both of my hands now and I saw a flash of him and the Hulk taking down one of the Chitauri serpents.

"Do not think that way. Loki rarely speaks in that cell. I think it drains him as much emotionally as it does physically. He refuses to respond except to declare that he despises me and our father. The only time he seems pleased is when he hears about you. I will take you to see him as you wished." I nodded slowly.

"I'm sorry I'm ruining this feast for you," I said. "I just have so many questions. There's so much I don't get."

"I understand, for there is much I have not told you. But these are words for private." Thor jerked his head and I caught the drift that he didn't want his father overhearing.

Thor turned his attention to Jane. I felt bad that I'd hogged him this entire time when she was probably as nervous as I was. She was already eating and then Thor went to it, eating the way he was known for. When I looked at the food in front of me, I lost my appetite. There was a whole lot of meat and I'd never been that big a fan of it to begin with. I had been right in my snarky thoughts, there were pheasants, whole other birds that I didn't recognize, and boar. I decided on eating bread and cheese because it was the only thing that seemed remotely appealing.

Frigga filled the goblet next to my place without asking. I felt like I was sitting at King Arthur's round table with this plate and odd silverware and huge golden goblet. "You must try the wine," Frigga said when I looked at her. I shook my head.

"You wouldn't wanna see me when I'm drinking. I don't- I'm not- I can't hold it well," I responded.

"It is delicious," said Thor from beside me. He grinned and I smiled back, grabbing the cup with both hands. Maybe Asgardian wine was like the wine they used to drink in Roman times and stuff; extremely watered down. When I took my first sip, I realized that wasn't true. I tried not to cough at how virulently alcoholic it was. I just gave Thor a weak smile so he could turn back to Jane.

I set the goblet back down and picked at my bread. The alcohol had already flooded my senses. I prayed that I was not going to lapse and start telling these random Aesir I loved them. Evidently, wine was the only thing they had to drink. I missed Dr. Pepper.

Frigga stayed silent beside me through the meal and I felt bad for it. She probably wanted to talk to me; it was why she wasn't sitting by Odin. Odin and Jane seemed to be bonding down beside Thor. To distract myself from it, I went back to eating a little and I drank a little more of the wine, which was still way too strong for my tastes. The goblet was also too large for my hands. In fact, everything here seemed like it was built or made for giants. Apparently, the average height of Asgardians wasn't below 6 ft.

Halfway through the meal, I broke down and looked at Loki. I'd been trying to avoid it because the temptation to go over there was almost overbearing. I wanted to know what had happened since he left Earth but more than anything, I was dying to see the memories I'd get from touching him. I had never forgotten the conversation I'd had with Jane and Darcy at the diner; that there was so much I didn't know about what had happened. How had the Bifrost really been broken? How did Loki stop Thor's coronation? Why was Thor banished in the first place? What kind of deal did Loki make with the Chitauri, with Thanos? If I knew the answers to any of these questions at one point, they weren't in my mind's bank now.

Loki was slumped against his table that happened to still be empty, pushing his food around on his plate much like I was. Every few seconds he lifted his eyes and looked at me and Thor. But earlier, where he'd smiled back at me, now he just seemed rather depressed. Maybe he didn't think there was anything I could do. I was doubting it at this point. Maybe if I wasn't so wary of Odin and if the Asgardians had taken to me the way they had to Jane, I'd feel a little more confident. But it seemed just being associated with Loki was enough to get me a bad rep.

"I know this is a heavy burden for you to bear, Lady Charlotte, but I am glad you have agreed." Frigga's kind voice shook me from my negative thoughts. It was like she heard them. "Loki is still my son whether he believes it or not and I hold a great deal of love for him. It is quite obvious that you love both of my sons and I know they both love you. For that reason, I hope that this is made easier on you." I nodded.

"Thank you so much," I said. "I promise you that I'll do everything I can. I'll say everything I can think of to help him but I'm just not sure what I have to say is anything Od- I mean, the Allfather hasn't heard already." Frigga smiled at me and it made me feel warm. It was clear that she was indeed Thor's mother.

"We know so much about you, dear, that is true but your being here will help. You know things that we do not. You can prove that he is not lost to us." Her voice shook on the last sentence and if I'd doubted it earlier, I knew for sure that she loved Loki now.

"I'm gonna do my best," I responded and I took her hand. Her skin sent the electric shock through me that was familiar to me now. I was in the throne room again but there were more people than I would've thought would've been able to fit in the room there. And Thor was walking down the middle of the aisle, twirling Mjolnir and wearing a pretty silver helmet. It was a good look. I felt immensely proud, as Frigga, and I realized that I was at Thor's coronation. My eyes fixed on Loki and he seemed as proud as I was.

I let Frigga's hand go. As memories went, that was fairly pleasant. It was certainly better than the memories I'd accidentally felt when I touched Bucky. I'd seen him kill someone. "Are you alright?" Frigga asked. My hands shook again and I just nodded.

"It's nothing. I'm fine." I looked over at Loki again and he was simply staring at the table, his green eyes fixed on me. He could tell something was happening when I saw someone's memory, that was the only solution.

The feast winded down and I finished off my bread, only drinking a little of the wine. Then I heard Odin's voice ring out again, calling the room to attention. I turned my head to look at the Allfather. "In honor of our lovely guests, I hope you all have a wonderful night," said Odin. I heard a noise in response and I knew it was from Loki. I choked back a laugh. "They will be staying with us in the palace for a fortnight, until such time as my son's punishment is decided. Please make them welcome." My small dinner rose in my throat and I grabbed Thor's hand again when he offered it.

Loki was the first person to leave. It must've been ceremony to have him escorted out first. A group of six guards, including the one who'd tried to hold me back earlier, were assigned to him. Loki's hands had been bound the entire time but they forced the muzzle onto his mouth before even letting him stand up. I moved to get out of my chair but Thor jerked me down, shaking his head. "But that's humiliating," I whispered. Everyone in the room was staring at Loki, seeming to dare him to misbehave. He just kept his eyes on the floor and then they walked him out, surrounding him in a circle.

"It is the point," Thor responded. I bit my lower lip. Of course, it was the point. Embarrass him even more. It was bad enough he had to wear it during the trial proceedings. But I knew they were only being smart. This room at least wasn't draining his powers. He had to be regarded with care.

I stood when Thor did and he, Jane, and I left next. I tried not to run to the back door to get away from everyone staring at me… and also to catch up to Loki. But all in all, leaving hadn't been as bad as it could've been. The only comment I could actually make out was someone skeptical on the amount of touching Thor and I had done throughout the meal. Even I had to admit that it was excessive. But Thor was really filling in for Steve here… and Thor knew a lot of stuff going on that I didn't.

There was no sign of Loki when we exited the dining room and I shrugged. Thor had promised he would take me to him so I just needed to be patient. I also needed to get my head in the game for what I would say when they started asking me the questions.

Thor stopped by a tall set of golden doors and pushed them open. "These are your quarters, Charlotte," he said. "Jane is staying next to you." I nodded because I didn't feel like I could say anything else.

The bed was probably the size of a king and it looked nicer than anywhere I'd ever stayed in my life. There were huge windows that looked down onto a courtyard of some kind and a lavish garden. There was a connecting room where it looked like there was some kind of tub. That made me grimace because I knew they'd want women to help me bathe and help me get dressed and basically be with me every moment I was in the room, except sleeping. But I would just have to get used to their customs. Loki and Thor had adjusted to Earth's. It was the least I could do, what with being a special guest and all.

"This is absolutely gorgeous, Thor," I said. "Thank you so much." He smiled and nodded. Jane was grinning to the side of him.

"There are all manner of clothes for you," he said.

"And they're all our size," said Jane, like she couldn't believe it. But she hadn't had the express experience with Asgardian magic that I had. It wasn't too hard for me to believe that they knew the kind of clothes that would fit us.

"That's cool," I said slowly. I had to admit that the idea of wearing these dresses for the next two weeks wasn't all that appealing. It took a while for me to even get into one of them and from then on, it was hard for me to breathe. But I supposed that had to do with how nervous I'd been that night. On a normal day, I would've loved to wear them but I was in Asgard on business. I wasn't here to drink tea with Frigga and ride horses down the Rainbow Bridge with the Warriors Three.

"There is also armor for you," said Thor. My mouth dropped open.

"Armor?" I asked. He nodded.

"Yes, much like Sif's. I have no doubt that you will love it and that it will fit you splendidly."

"I am so excited," I said, practically rubbing my hands together, waiting to run them over all of the dresses.

"Sleep well," Thor said with a wink. Jane gave me a wave and Thor shut the two doors to my chambers.

I walked around a little more, wandering aimlessly. Sitting on the dark green bedspread was the belt I had my blades in and a floor-length white nightgown with sheer white sleeves. I almost gasped. It was so perfect. Someone arrived at that moment to help get me out of the gown I had worn to dinner. These people were practically psychic.

She left and after I got in my new princess-y nightgown, I crawled in bed. I needed the rest but I knew I wasn't tired. I had to think of what was going to happen during Loki's trial. At some point, I would probably snap on someone; it was inevitable. Then I was going to have to relive every moment that Loki was on Earth with me; from when I heard a loud boom and rushed out, expecting to find Thor but instead found Loki lying in the desert to when I'd stood in Central Park, holding back tears as we sent Thor and Loki back to Asgard with the cube. Speaking of, where was the cube being held? I wanted to see it. I suppose that in the absence of a Bifrost, they'd been using the tesseract as a means of travel between realms.

After a while, I wasn't even sure how long I'd been laying there. I heard the door to my room open and I shot up in bed, grabbing the tool belt holding all my knives. I'd hidden it underneath the bed in case of the strange event that something like this happened. Once I'd pulled one, I realized that it was only Thor. He was pressing his index finger to his lips and I stood up. "You do not need that. No one here will hurt you. Now come quickly," he whispered. I dropped my knife on the bed and followed him out of the room. There was no one in the hallway, not that there'd been earlier. We passed by securely closed golden doors that were identical to the ones that led into my rooms. I assumed they were to Jane. Thor gripped my arm and guided me down other dark hallways and down stairs. I didn't need to ask where we were going. After some time we arrived in a completely black corridor, outside a door that clearly was meant to be a prison. I turned my head and looked at Thor. My heart felt like it would stop pumping blood at any second. "This is the only time I can bring you to him. It is when his guards take a break," said Thor. His version of whispering was my version of plain talking.

"You come to visit him in the middle of the night?" I asked.

"For the most part, yes. But Loki rarely sleeps, therefore it is easier for me to come now. They would let me whenever I wanted but my father believes being alone is the largest part of his punishment. He knows that Loki feeds off of interaction." I gulped. I understood that Loki needed to be punished; he deserved it for what he'd done to New York and what he'd planned to do to the whole planet, but if they didn't want to permanently lose him, I would think Odin would realize that isolating Loki would only make him believe he'd been in the right the entire time. "But they would never allow you to be here." I didn't need Thor to explain why.

"How long do we have with him?"

"A half hour, maybe more. Be kind to him, Charlotte. He knows what the odds of his punishment are." I nodded again. I was nervous, maybe more than I'd been earlier that day. Thor's hands wrangled with the door and I couldn't see whether he was breaking the hinges or unlocking it. When I heard it open, I sucked my breath in and Thor pushed me in. "I will let you know when we must leave," Thor whispered and his hand left my waist. I stumbled when I heard the door shut and my hand grasped at the wall. It was stone and it felt soggy, like it had been raining. My eyes slowly adjusted to how dark it was.

"L-Loki?" I whispered.

"You know you are not safe here." My hands started shaking. I hadn't heard him speak this entire time. In fact, I wondered if he'd taken some sort of silence pact as part of his punishment. Other than one memory I'd picked up from Thor, Loki hadn't spoken at all and Thor had said the only times Loki said anything was when he wanted to curse Odin and Thor.

"I'm here to help you," I responded, keeping my voice low. My eyes finally adjusted to the lighting and I saw a shadow of a form against the far wall.

"I know," he responded, being short with me. "But I do not want your help. You cannot do anything for me now. Why would you want to? Tell Thor to take you home and you stay there."

I tried to muster up a laugh but that failed. "Have a little faith in me. If I can play a part in this, I'm going to." Even though he was enshrouded in the darkness, I could make out that Loki shook his head.

"Go back to Earth and live out your life. It is much too late for me and you owe me nothing. Have Thor take you back and forget all of it. It is not safe."

"What's going on?" I said, trying to move forward but stumbling again instead. I caught myself but I saw Loki's arm reach out. He could see better in this than I could. "Have you given up? I don't get it. Maybe I can get you out of this." I dropped to my knees when I was close enough to him and I felt the cold come off in waves. "Thor said they were contemplating the Silent Realm, whatever the hell that is, and all I got from the name is that it would be terrible for you. I can try to get them to give something less… less severe so let me do what I want or give me some straight answers." Loki cut his eyes over at me finally. I hadn't lost my touch at babbling apparently.

"The Silent Realm is certainly not the worst that could come of this." His voice sounded like he was weighed down by thinking of all of the possibilities. "I did irreparable damage to your realm of mortals and the Asgardians are not like to let me forget it."

"Your mother and Thor wanna reconcile." I saw the corners of his mouth turn up in a smirk.

"Leave, Charlotte. I did not ask to see you; indeed, I did not ask Thor to bring you here. He has quite a bit of gall. I do not want nor need anyone's help, especially not yours. Now go!" His voice sent shivers down my spine when he yelled and I stood back up.

"Evidently, you do need it," I said. "And I'm not here because of a favor to you; I came because Thor asked me." My voice sounded hurt and in a way, I was. I had expected Loki to be fairly happy that I was in Asgard but maybe that was my self-centered way. Loki wasn't one to beg or accept pity. I should've known.

Loki laughed at me and somehow, that only stung worse. "Oh, of course, we all saw that Thor is the one you came for at the feast. You did not let go of his hand the entire meal and when you spoke to each other, you were more intimate together than he was with Jane." My hands balled into fists to stop their shaking.

"You know that's a lie," I whispered.

"Do I? Or better yet, do they? You do not belong in this realm, Charlotte. Neither of us do. Leave!" He'd raised his voice again and I flinched.

"No," I said back. "Lashing out at me won't make you feel better about yourself. I'm gonna stay until your punishment is settled and even if you deserve getting your lips sewn together, for Thor's sake, I will make sure it is lesser. Then I will go back to Earth and live my life and forget about you." My voice cracked but I was surprised I'd made it this long without breaking. The entire day's events on top of this. Loki was right; I didn't belong in Asgard. That couldn't be more clear.

"Lashing out? I am simply stating the truth."

"For once in your life," I replied under my breath.

"I was not the only one who took notice of the way you and Thor are with each other. You will only embarrass yourself further if you prolong this visit. I do not want to see you." I gulped.

"I'm not asking you what you want. You said it wasn't safe here when I walked in, what did that mean?" Was that why he was trying to push me out? Something was going on that I didn't know about?

"It is not safe for you to pretend you know what you are speaking about." I shook my head.

"No, I didn't ask for you to toy with words. I'm done with that for now. You tell me why you want me gone or I'll come back with my knives." He laughed again and I tried to fight off thinking of how charming the sound was.

"What happened during the time I have been gone that has made you become so like me?" I didn't feel like I could respond. "What a burden it must be for your so-called friends and your new beau to realize that you are simply the way I am." Loki had always said it, especially when he'd wanted me to join him before the final battle in New York, and deep down, I'd always known it was true. The two of us were a great deal alike.

"I don't have a new beau," I responded quietly. "I don't have anyone. I do my work during the day and then I try to sleep at night but when I sleep, I'm haunted by terrible dreams and during my waking hours, I have to pretend that I don't care about you or Steve anymore. I've gotten to be pretty good at lying and I'm pretty good at detecting them too. So why isn't it safe here?"

Loki didn't seem to react but then again, I couldn't really see. "I have already told you that it is too late for me."

"Why do you think that? Are they gonna do that poison thing from legend where it falls on you in streams and it burns you? I'd try to catch it." I doubted I'd taken a breath in that sentence and from where I was, I saw Loki smile. "Is that even vaguely true?"

"Unfortunately so but no, my punishment here is not what I am worried about." His voice trembled on the last word and he finally stood up. I'd forgotten how tall he was.

"Are you- Are you scared?" I asked. Loki grumbled a noise that didn't give me an answer either way. "Oh, my God, this is about Thanos, isn't it?"

"He promised me a lifetime of pain if I failed and there are many things he wants." I raised my eyebrows.

"Has he talked to you?" I asked. Loki shook his head.

"It is worthless worrying on my part, something I am not known for."

"Well, you don't get a choice in any of this. I am staying and I am doing everything in my power to help you." I moved closer to him and I could finally really take him in. He wasn't wearing that beautiful emerald cape but otherwise, he was wearing the same leather outfit as usual. It was just worn and dusty. His hair seemed longer and his skin looked sickly.

"You are a stupid and naïve girl," he said. I shrugged.

"I've been called worse. In the last 24 hours as a matter of fact." Everything with Bucky ran through my mind and I wondered about the clusterfuck I would return home to. "But I'm not leaving you to deal with this alone. You need someone on your side."

"What kind of information could you possibly offer that would trump anything I have done?"

"You're not the things you've done, Loki. What if I can make them see that?"

"I have not changed! I do not plan on reconciling with my 'family.' I am not good," he said definitively and turned away from me. "You would be lying to them if you claimed otherwise."

"Tell me to my face that you don't want that and that you don't love Thor. You tell me that and I'll let you be alone." I grabbed his hand to turn him back and at the cold contact, I saw something.

God, it was cold and desolate wherever this was. Everything was barren. In fact, it was like a really cold version of the Grand Canyon. I leaned out from behind a rock after I heard a yell and moved my right hand quickly. One of Loki's projections disappeared and I ran off. Huge things were running around and I knew they were Frost Giants. As Loki, I was extremely mad at Thor. He'd recklessly gotten everybody involved in this fight and Fandral was already injured. I pulled a knife out of a sheath on my leg (wow, I could get used to being this tall). Then I heard Volstagg yell, "Don't let them touch you!" Loki had told me about this before; a touch from a Jotunn could seriously injure an Asgardian. He'd known he was different when one touched him and he didn't feel pain.

I heard a noise and flipped the long knife. As Loki, I may have been over 6 feet tall but the Frost Giants were easily two or three feet above that. This one seemed particularly interested in me. Without thinking I grabbed a smaller knife in my left hand; the smaller knife was more at home for me, at least. When the Frost Giant approached me, I had to remember that this wasn't really happening to me in real time. I used the small knife and knocked back the Jotunn quickly. He dropped to his knees and I dropped the smaller knife because he'd grabbed my forearm. I stared in stunned disbelief as the guards on my forearm disintegrated and left my hand exposed. Cold raced up as the skin around the Jotunn's touch turned blue. My eyes grew big as I realized it wasn't hurting me. The Frost Giant seemed to raise his eyebrows at me as the blue quickly began to fade. I got him in the gut with the blade in my right hand and he let go of me.

I knew I was making the movement in real time. I stared at the palm of my hand and flipped it over as the blue finally faded. I looked up then, realizing no one had seen anything. What did this mean? Why wasn't I hurt? What the hell am I? God, everyone was right. I am some freak of nature. Why didn't I know? I felt pure agony and confusion overtake me. I felt lost.

I gasped and quickly let go of Loki's hand. I moved away from him and made my back hit one of the walls. My breathing was fast paced and I put my hand on my neck to try to calm myself down. Normally memories weren't that intense for me. I truly felt like it was me it was happening to and not like I was reliving some other person's life.

"What is it? Are you alright?" asked Loki. His voice had gone shades down than from before. He'd lapsed into caring about me again and that made me very pleased, I was sad to say. His hands grasped my upper arms and I could feel him through the sheer sleeves of my gown.

"I was taking a bath the other day and I got electrocuted and now when I touch someone's skin, I can see one of their memories through their eyes." His eyes grew big. "It's a temporary kinda thing but it's there. I'm learning to control it but sometimes, the images assault me and that's sorta what just happened."

"You saw me in Jotunheim. I saw you move your hand like I had. It was all so familiar." I nodded.

"Yeah, I did. It was so real." And it had been. Truly, I hadn't been as shaken when I saw Bucky kill someone as I had when Loki had been grabbed by that Frost Giant. Maybe it was due to emotional content. When I had seen Bucky kill someone, he'd been under the Soviets' influence and he hadn't even thought anything of what he'd done. But Loki had gone from having a frivolous problem (that actually wasn't all that frivolous, I had to admit) to feeling lost and like he didn't know anything about himself. I'd seen the start of Loki's downfall and I feared what I'd see the next time I touched him.

"It happens every time you touch someone?" he asked. His hands were on my shoulders now and I greatly appreciated the contact.

"Not every time, if I can help it. Like I said, I've slowly grown to be able to slightly control it. And I don't know how long I'll have it. It could be gone tomorrow for all I know."

"For your sake, I hope it is. I cannot imagine the things you have seen by touching Thor." What the hell was that supposed to mean? What had happened to Thor that would be brutal to see? Surely not anything worse than Jotunheim.

"What are you talking about?" I asked. Loki only released my shoulders and turned away from me. I heard the door creak fast and I turned.

"Charlotte, we must leave if you are to get any sleep tonight," said Thor. The guards must've been coming back soon.

Loki didn't react at all, just kept his back to me. I wrapped my arms around his tall frame from behind and pressed my head against his back. The only response he gave me was touching my forearm, carefully avoiding bare skin.

I slowly let go of him and walked out of the cracked door. "Are you alright?" Thor asked. I nodded. In a way, I was alright. But I had wanted so much more time with Loki, especially after seeing what I had. There was no way to bring up that memory in conversation with Thor. He probably knew nothing about it. Beyond that, it just wasn't my place to mention anything that I saw when I wasn't supposed to. So I focused on something else.

"He wasn't exactly happy to see me," I said when Thor and I began walking back to my rooms. Thor made a noise in response. "He wanted you to take me home. He said it wasn't safe here." I was prompting Thor to see if he knew anything of the sort. But it didn't look like he knew anything that I didn't.

"I believe he is scared of the retribution he will receive for his actions and therefore, he is worried for you. Our people's anger is unparalleled in the Nine Realms, Charlotte. Surely, you understand that," he responded.

"Yeah, sure, I get that. But has Loki ever told you anything about Thanos?"

"Nothing more than what was known when he and I left Earth. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that Loki refuses to speak to me about anything other than cursing our father. But that does not mean that I do not know he is terrified."

"Well, what kind of punishments is he up for? What kind of punishment should you and I be trying to get them to consider? He's not exactly happy that I'm here to help either. I think he thinks I'm pitying him."

"Surely, he knows how desperate the situation is. He is not naïve. But Loki does not want you involved; indeed, I doubt he ever wanted you to reach Asgard. He is not fond of this place anymore and he hates everyone here. The people, and our friends, did not accept his erroneous rule kindly when my father was in the Odinsleep and I was banished. But he still feels he was wronged." My mouth dropped open. All of this was entirely new information to me.

"Wait, are you telling me that he was king of Asgard when you were banished? What the hell is an Odinsleep? And why was it wrongful rule? He's still a prince of Asgard." Thor shook his head at my many questions.

"He did not tell you what happened to cause him to fall?" I stopped walking when we reached the doors to my rooms and my mind started racing as Thor pushed open the doors and let us inside. Thor had expected me to know all this? Is that why all of these people stared at me and were seemingly afraid of me? They thought I supported all of the bad things Loki had done?

"No, Thor, no, he didn't. He didn't tell me anything. He lied. He is an A+ liar and for the most part, that's all I ever got out of him. I knew he didn't like you, I knew something went wrong at your coronation, I knew he discovered he was a different race before Odin had the chance to explain anything, and I knew the Bifrost was broken but not how. That is the beginning and end of the truth Loki told me. So if you'd please fill in some blanks."

"I never knew, I never realized that he kept so much from you. I do not understand why he did not explain more."

"He had every reason not to tell me when I picked him up in the middle of the desert and when I was protecting him from S.H.I.E.L.D. for all those months. He didn't tell me a whole lot of anything during that time period because he was busy making deals with the Chitauri and Thanos. At the time, I probably was nothing more to him than an ally."

"Charlotte, that is not true at all and I will tell you why tomorrow night. You, Jane, and myself need to have a discussion if you really do not know these things."

"Well, I don't know them, Thor. And I don't wanna be thrown to the dogs tomorrow during that trial for not knowing everything that I could." Thor shook his head.

"You will be fine tomorrow. All you have to do is talk about your time with Loki, the things you saw that made you like him. If you did not know what happened on Asgard, it will only endear you. You continued to care for my brother even after he had wronged you. You just have to tell them why."

"You make it sound like that's gonna be easy and I can tell you for a fact that it won't be. But fine, I'll accept that you'll tell me everything tomorrow. But let me go back to one of my other questions; what kind of punishment are we aiming for? Loki has to have one." Thor paced around my room, contemplating things.

"I do not have many strong ideas. The only one that appeals to me is the same punishment I bore for storming into Jotunheim; banishment to Midgard." I put that down as another question to ask. "He can stay there, without his powers, and repay his debt to your realm by working with our friends; Stark, Barton, Romanov, Banner, and Rogers." I shook my head,

"One, Loki will never ever work with them, powers or no powers. Two, none of them would go for the idea, especially since we're not consulting them."

"It is a lesser punishment that is still hard on Loki. I am hard pressed to think of another that would fulfill what my father would want and what we want." I shrugged and Thor came to a stop in front of me, putting his hands on my upper arms. "If I can convince the Allfather to banish him to Midgard, he will be closer to you."

"Don't you think they've already thought of that? It's not so much a punishment as free reign to hang out with me and my friends. Never mind that he doesn't like any of them."

"It is a way for him to prove himself to the Asgardians and your realm."

"Yeah, that's true but I don't know that I can convince them it's a good idea. Regarding the rest of the Avengers, it clearly isn't one."

"If we explain the situation to them, our friends will have no choice. In fact, they may approve of it."

"The Avengers aren't even assembled right now, Thor. The only ones still in New York are Bruce and Tony. Clint will come back and so will Natasha but it won't be right now. And I haven't seen Steve in months. He's still the leader of the initiative and he won't go for this, I can promise you. I'm not gonna go for the idea. I don't want Loki around Steve. Okay, I don't." Thor smiled at me and I felt heat rise to my face. "I want to figure this out on my own time and talk about all that later. But seriously, the fact you didn't mention this before we left is gonna put a huge roadblock in our plan. I just don't feel good about deciding something without consulting Director Fury."

"Since when do you care what he thinks?" I snorted out a laugh.

"He's my boss. I answer to him now more than I ever have. I am not putting my future at S.H.I.E.L.D. on the line for this half-assed plan we've got."

"If my father makes this decision, no one in Midgard will be able to oppose it." I put my hands over my face and began walking around. "If I come with him, will it matter as much?" I dropped my hands and put them on my hips.

"You'd do that?" I asked. Thor nodded. "Well, I can't ask you to do something like that for mine and the other Avengers' peace of mind. You have duties here. We all understand that. Earth doesn't have express need of you right now. I doubt it would if they take Loki's powers." Thor made a face.

"I know I said without his powers but I just do not know. Magic is Loki's livelihood and it is clear being in those chambers has a huge effect on him." My mouth almost dropped open.

"Thor, he is dangerous," I said.

"It is why I will make a bargain to go with him until he has proven himself. And if you promise to help him like you have, I see no reason for this not to work."

**Okay, I made at the top too. So I'm sorry. But I wanted to let ya'll know that hopefully Asgard will be done in the next couple of chapters and I can get started on the fun stuff on Earth.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry about the incredibly long wait! I've had so many ideas going through my head for later chapters that this one suffered a wait because of it. FYI, I'm posting this a year after I officially began Your Equal. I cannot thank you enough for the support. Please review! And as usual, Charlotte is the only thing I own.**

After Thor left, I had a fitful night of sleep, which is to say that I didn't sleep at all. I could see in the mirrors the next morning that I had circles under my eyes the size of saucers. Why didn't I bring any makeup? Whatever, at this point it was clear I knew that the Asgardians had my number. They were going to have to deal with me.

Two women showed up and finally, I forced myself to accept that this all hadn't been a terrible dream. They poured a basin of water for me to bathe in while I had some bread and honey and fruit for my breakfast. The women obviously intended to steer clear of me and I finally snapped. "Look, I'm not dangerous so you can all stop hiding in the shadows. I'm not here to break into the weapons vault. I'm here as a favor to Thor," I said between bites of bread. "So I would appreciate it if ya'll would stop treating me like I'm some kind of fugitive. I get that enough at home." The last sentence I said more to myself than anything else. I drank the goblet of water they'd brought me and I was so thankful it wasn't wine, I almost rejoiced.

When I felt a girl's hand on my shoulders, I knew they were expecting me to take a bath. "You don't need to chaperone me with this," I said as the nightgown was stripped off of me. Thank goodness I still had on underwear. I'd brought several pair. "Well, obviously no one listens to a word I say… and I never was the most modest person." Of course, the other times I'd been near naked in front of people other than my mom was during medical emergencies and I wouldn't have cared what they saw as long as I was helped.

"The water is likely cold by now," one of them muttered. I twisted my head fiercely after covering my breasts. The one who'd spoken froze, like she was scared of what I'd do to her.

"Makes no mind to me," I responded and I stepped into the tub slowly. The water wasn't freezing by any means, certainly not compared to the ice baths Tony had made for me. "Oh, I've had much worse." I sank into the water slowly, still not compromising my underwear.

"You are accustomed to cold water?" the girl who'd spoken before asked. I nodded.

"When I train physically, ice water helps stall swelling in any of my muscles. It's a neat trick." The girl froze again. Maybe I shouldn't have used the term 'trick.'

"What was on your hip?" the other girl asked. I knew exactly what she'd been referring to but I looked at my left side anyway.

"It's a scar. I got cut pretty badly." This one wasn't deterred.

"How did it happen?" I started smiling. Maybe I was growing on them.

"I was trying to prevent Loki from doing something and I tripped. I'm kinda clumsy. I would've fallen to my death if he hadn't grabbed me." I noticed the two girls exchange a look. I practically rolled my eyes. What was it now?

"You fell?"

"Yeah, I did."

That was the last anyone said for a while. They insisted on washing my hair for me, which actually wasn't a chore to allow them to do. It felt amazing and I blocked my mind to their memories. After that, they set to helping me get into another gown. This one was a deep purple and I was given a copper choker to wear. The metal and the color set me apart from either brother and I figured, during the trial, that might be needed. After my hair had been set, it fell in finger wave curls that made my stomach churn. Normally, it was a style I might do every once in a while because I knew it looked good on me but today, I only saw someone else in the mirror.

Bucky had compared me to Peggy Carter, even said that I reminded him of her. I didn't know enough of the woman to know whether our personalities meshed but I had seen her picture. I wasn't as pretty as her but with my hair touching my shoulders and styled this way, I almost saw it. But she had smaller and daintier lips and higher cheekbones. She probably had a better skin complexion too, if I was to be totally honest. And there was no way I could pull off a service uniform and red lipstick. But body-wise, we also were fairly similar. I might've been shorter than her and that always allowed for some curves but I didn't look as confident as she was. What the hell am I doing? Comparing myself to her could take all damn day and I could do that on my own time.

I mentally regretted having no makeup again but I stood and sucked it up. The gown was long enough to cover the fact that I was still wearing combat boots. I hope that didn't matter to anyone like everything else I did seemed to do. "Thanks for helping me this morning!" I said cheerfully to the two girls who'd been silent since the beginning of my bath. They'd seen basically every part of my body and they hadn't even told me their names. But at this comment, they both seemed to perk up. Maybe it was my quaint Midgardian manners.

As they left, Thor and Jane showed up. No doubt they'd had breakfast together. Jane was wearing a pink gown and her hair was braided back. "Are you ready for this?" she asked timidly. I shrugged.

"No but I was never going to be," I said.

"As I told you," began Thor, "all of this will go spectacularly for you. Speaking is something you are terribly good at and if you are just honest, I have no doubt the people will listen." But it was obvious Thor had slept as little as I had last night. He felt bad about Loki wanting me to go home, I could tell. In fact, I was practically sure he was contemplating doing it.

"I'm not going back on this but you have to keep your word on explaining everything tonight." He nodded.

"I will. You, Jane, the Lady Sif, the Warriors Three, and myself shall dine together in my rooms tonight. Any questions you have shall be answered."

"That's good enough for me." And it was. Anything to keep my mind occupied.

The three of us began walking to the throne room again and my hands started shaking. The only pep talk I could give myself was that I knew Loki needed this help and that he would never have asked for it. But I owed Thor even more than I owed Loki. And I knew Tony and Bruce were right. I couldn't start having these feelings for Loki again. I'd finally gotten back to some semblance of normal before being yanked up and taken here. But if what Thor wanted actually came to pass, I didn't know how I'd react. Loki being on Earth indefinitely would be a hard pill to swallow for any of the Avengers.

I pretended I wasn't sweating bullets when we arrived. The huge doors were wide open, seemingly waiting for the three of us to enter. When they closed behind us, I knew they had been and I gulped. As many people as had been there yesterday when I entered were there now. I saw Sif and the Warriors Three and I nodded at them.

We walked the length of the middle aisle again and I briefly recalled Frigga's memory of Thor's coronation day. This room wouldn't hold that kind of celebration for a while. When we reached the bottom of the small staircase leading to Odin's throne and Frigga sitting beside it, Thor dropped to one knee and put his right fist over his heart. Being the pleasing person she was, I watched as Jane did the same. I, noticeably, did not.

My eyes fixed on Loki, who was seated to the left at the front of the room. Behind the muzzle, he might've been smiling. His eyes were just lit up like they used to do when he found something interesting. "Prince Thor, Lady Jane, please take a seat," said Odin. His booming voice sent chills down my spine. "It is the Lady Charlotte with whom I must speak and we all must hear." Thor clapped me on the back and I smiled at him. He and Jane sat down beside Sif. "Are you familiar with any Asgardian custom, Lady Charlotte? As I recall, you remembered the proper bow yesterday." I gulped. But by the way Odin was looking at me, I could tell he wasn't mad that I wasn't reverent. Instead, he seemed intrigued.

"It was my first guess to guarantee my safety," I said. The strength of my voice surprised me. Maybe there was something about the room that made it seem louder. "But all due respect, Allfather, you're not my king so I'm not gonna bow." Loki's eyes lit up again and I bit my lip to keep from smiling. Maybe the idea of my being here was growing on him.

"I would never have asked you to since you are of Midgard. Heimdall also gave me some hint of your personality." Again, he seemed almost curious about me but it wasn't the kind of curiosity that was nice. I felt like he was looking at me like a freak. "But you are here under grave matters and though I wish it were not so, I digress." I nodded.

"I'll tell you everything I can."

"How did you come to find my son?" Frigga had leaned forward in her chair and I noticed Thor, out of the corner of my eye, lean forward too. Did they truly not know?

"My company, S.H.I.E.L.D., was in the area where Thor was banished because we curious about him and what had happened." This was going to be easier than I anticipated. "The house I was staying in was the closest to the… to the Bifrost point. I heard a loud boom one night, maybe two days after Thor had returned here, and I thought it was Thor so I drove out to the spot. I suspect you know about the Avengers?" Odin nodded but his face showed nothing else. "I didn't want Thor to be harassed about it automatically when he didn't know anything about them so my original plan had been to brief Thor on what my company would want. I didn't anticipate Loki. It clicked in my head who he was when I saw him and I set to helping him. He wasn't happy about it but it was clear he had no one else. He told me the Bifrost was broken and he sassed me a lot but I sassed him right back and I took him to my house. I got him Midgardian clothes and fed him and we just… became friends."

"Did you know of the Destroyer?" I nodded.

"Yeah, I did. I mean, people warned me that Loki was the one who'd done it. That was entire reason I even figured out who he was when I found him in the desert. It was the way the story was told to me, I guess, that made me not fully believe it. I heard it secondhand and from reading some statement Jane had made. None of it clicked with me. It just sounded like they needed a scapegoat and the poor misunderstood, wronged younger brother was the perfect one. I told Loki as much when I met him. I didn't think it was on him for a long, long time." Odin didn't seem to appreciate that I thought Loki was the one wronged. I braced myself for whatever came next.

"What did he tell you about Asgard?" Odin seemed hardened by the information I'd given him already. "Why did you consider him wronged?"

"I, uh, he told me that he had problems with Thor… and he told me his true parentage." Odin pressed his lips together in a harsh line and I heard people gasp. He didn't want the Frost Giant thing brought up in public. "He said that the people here judged him for his use of magic and his silver tongue. He said he'd always felt different."

"We never wanted him to feel different," said Frigga. I didn't doubt that. I knew the reasoning behind it.

"At any rate, Loki told me that Asgard knew he was a monster long before he did."

"He is not a monster," said Odin. I took a step back at his tone but I kept going. I'd waited for this moment for at least eight months.

"I know but isn't that what you taught him and Thor as children? That the Frost Giants couldn't be trusted? That they were monsters? I just don't get that if you knew from the beginning why you didn't approach it better. He could've just known and this all could've been avoided." Loki was staring at me like he couldn't understand how I knew what to say.

"You think to question my authority on these matters?" Again I felt the need to take a step back but this time, I didn't. At first, I'd simply been going to explain things slowly but it was clear that Odin really didn't trust me. He didn't understand that I empathized with Loki. He might even have thought I was in on it.

"Yeah, I do because I think it's obvious it could've been prevented if you'd talked to him."

"Of course, it could have been prevented. Everything can be prevented. But with the respect you are due for protecting Loki, you seem to know nothing about him or the events that led him to your world. He chose to fall into an abyss and he came out on the other side a different person and that is the person you took care of. He fooled you much like he has fooled many a person. As I am told, that is a gift you have as well." So there it was. He thought he knew me from what Heimdall saw. I didn't understand that though because as far as I knew, Heimdall liked me. Besides, what could he have seen that would've been so incriminating?

"No, I think the biggest gift I have is figuring other people out. In fact, that's in my job description. And I can tell you for a fact that while I may have been fooled for a few months, there were things that happened that Loki couldn't have been lying about. He showed me his skin as it turned blue. As far as I'm aware, that's not something you can fake. He wasn't lying when he tried to hide tears when Thor begged him to come home. He'll deny it but he loves you and the rest of his family. It doesn't make up for what he did to my planet and I know that but he does deserve your sympathy. He was hurt when I found him because he was searching for your approval and couldn't find it. That doesn't absolve him of any sins but it is true that you favored Thor. It's easy to see why. I love him as much as you do. But Loki was left alone and I don't think it's a wonder that he ended up the way he did. I would've been the same."

Odin appeared calm and he even briefly smiled before responding. "I found Loki as a baby on Jotunheim, left to die in the cold because he was too small. I did hope to one day bring about a peace between our two realms through him. It is true that I was in the wrong." My heart pounded loudly and I was afraid everyone in the room could hear it. "One thing I have always valued about the Midgardians is something you embody well, Lady Charlotte, and that is your courage. I have heard tales of you from my son and from his accounts, you seem to be quite the hero. Indeed, you seem to be willing to sacrifice yourself for a cause. I value that. Your love for my sons is completely unheralded and I hope they both know how lucky they are to have won the affections of someone so completely honest with themselves and everyone around them." I felt like gasping. How he took what I'd said so well, I didn't know. I was hotheaded and a total rambler but he'd almost expected it. It didn't make me feel like I belonged but it was a step closer to being understood. "Now could you tell me of your involvement in Loki's plans to conquer Midgard or what you knew of them?" I shrugged and tried to calm myself down.

"Uh, I truly didn't know much until after the fact. I spent a lot of my time trying to stop him with the Avengers. But Loki did try to convince me to join him and I told him no but I figured out from that conversation that he'd gone out and made a deal with someone for the army and whatever else. I mean, I knew he hadn't had that scepter the entire time."

"The scepter?" asked Frigga, leaning forward again.

"Yeah, um, it was this long thing with a glowing blue light at the end. I'm certain it was connected to the tesseract. I mean, it's what closed the portal between Earth and wherever the Chitauri are from."

"Do you have the scepter in your possession on Midgard?" asked Odin.

"I don't personally but it is with my company and I can assure you it's under total lock and key. It's just been in our labs to be analyzed. It's got a weird possessive quality about it and when it's in the same building as me, it's all I can think about. We wanted to see what was making it that way but we haven't found anything. Besides, even though the cube's here, the light on the end of the spear is just as bright as can be." This seemed to disconcert Odin and Frigga and when I turned to look at Thor, he even seemed a little confused.

The rest of the day passed menially with me explaining everything that had happened since Loki had been in my care. I lashed out a couple of times when it was insinuated that I didn't know things that had gone down but other than that, I kept my head on straight. But it was clear that Thor had a lot of explaining to do.

When Odin told us that our time that day was over, I strode forward and up the steps to formally apologize. "I'm so sorry for the way I've acted," I began. "I am a guest here and I know that but with what Loki told me and my personality, it was bound to happen at some point. I'm not fond of the way things between you and your family are and that's none of my business but you needed to know."

Odin gave me another smile which I expected was just his normal reaction to someone like me. "I think that having Thor explain the things Loki did not tell you will answer quite a few of your questions," he responded. "I was told you that you and Loki were a great deal alike, so much so that Thor considered you a lost sister, but I see now that where Loki hides his pain and his animosity, you tell it. I find that admirable and one day, it will take you very far. But the empathy you feel for what Loki has done is unfathomable and that is where I see the two of you being compatible. Do not hurt Thor the way Loki has done, Lady Charlotte. That is all I ask of you. Do not make him regret considering you a sister." I gulped and nodded, backing off. I never expected to get that kind of lecture.

They escorted Loki out first, as per usual. I stuck to Thor and Jane. Jane exchanged a look with me and I knew she felt bad for what I'd been put through today. It was only beginning. Odin said a few words that formally dismissed everyone and I followed Sif, the Warriors Three, Thor, and Jane back to Thor's living quarters.

His rooms were just as lavish as mine had been and covered in red but I had expected that. I heard Volstagg make some mention of food and I realized I was actually hungry. Thor had had dinner be ready for all of us before we returned from the day at "court."

"I am sorry for what you had to be put through today, Charlotte," said Thor. I shrugged.

"The whole situation was something I'd expected so don't be sorry. It was only a matter of time," I responded. "I hope that whatever I said sunk in for them." But I didn't believe anything I'd mentioned had made a true difference.

"Well, let's eat," mentioned Jane.

"Thank you, Lady Jane!" I heard Volstagg say before sitting at the table in Thor's room and digging in. Hogun and Fandral laughed while Sif did an Asgardian version of a face-palm. I sat beside Jane and ate some bread and cheese and a fruit that Volstagg highly recommended.

"So today was brutal," said Jane.

"You can say that again," I said, eating another piece of bread. "Although not as badly as it might have been."

"I thought you were wonderful," said Fandral. "Who knew the Midgardians had such gall?" I mustered a laugh.

"I don't have a brain to mouth filter, that much is obvious." When they didn't understand the expression, Jane and I laughed. "I mean, that when I think something, I just say it and don't stop to wonder what the repercussions will be."

"I kind of think it made Odin like you," said Jane. I snorted.

"You didn't hear the lecture I got then." Thor made a face like he disapproved.

"What did my father say to you?" he demanded.

"He warned me not to hurt you. I think that was the lesson at hand."

"That is not a valid concern," he responded. "You are here to aid my brother and you are one of my greatest friends. I cannot understand why he would wish to insult you like that. I will have words with him." Thor moved to get up but Sif scolded him.

"Thor, you are being rash," she said.

"Yeah, you are," I said. He made a face again. "Only a little bit. I thought it was fine that he said it. I just thought he wanted to tell me that I was ungrateful and rude and I might've been a bit of both today." Thor sank back into his chair and he turned to look at me. "Your father also said that it might be beneficial if you explain everything to me." Thor nodded. "So why were you banished in the first place?" Jane turned to look at Thor now and seemed curious. Was it possible that she knew as little as I did?

"At the time none of us knew that my coronation was ended due to Loki," said Thor. "Frost Giants entered the Allfather's treasure room and sought to regain their power casket that my father had taken from them once they were defeated. Before I was crowned, they drew our attention and I grew angry at the thought that they had broken into our stronghold."

"All of us were," said Sif.

"Loki seemed to agree that something needed to be done when my father said for there to be no actions taken. We decided to march on Jotunheim."

"Just the six of you?" I asked. "Surely, you knew that wasn't a good idea." Thor only shrugged.

"Loki tried to tell us once there but I was angry and I started a fight that none of us could have won. In the end, the Allfather had to come stop the fighting."

"Rather humiliating at the time," said Volstagg, "but I have learned to be grateful for it."

"Loki told a guard before we left where we going so it was only a matter of time before someone showed up," said Fandral. "He seemed to think we should never have made it to even speak with Laufey." I rumpled my brow.

"So he sorta egged you on and then claimed he'd always thought it was a bad idea?" I asked. All of them nodded.

"We were furious," said Hogun.

"But didn't he actually save your lives by doing that?" Fandral nodded.

"It was all a show to make it seem like Thor was unfit for the throne," said Sif.

"Once we returned, the Allfather banished me to your realm without my powers," said Thor grimly. "Once there, I met Jane, Darcy, and Erik. Jane helped me try to reclaim Mjolnir but I was not worthy yet and was taken by your company." I nodded. That was something I knew. Phil had interrogated him and came up with nothing. Originally Thor was thought to be nothing more than a glorified mercenary. When the Destroyer arrived, it became clear he was something else. "While there, Loki visited me."

"What?" I asked.

"How could he do that?" asked Jane.

"Loki is clever and has ways to travel between realms that are not through Heimdall or the Bifrost. He came to Midgard to tell me that my father had died and that continued peace with Jotunheim was conditional upon my banishment." I opened my mouth to say something but I couldn't think of the right words. Odin clearly wasn't dead. How could Loki make Thor believe something like that?

"I- I don't think I understand," I said.

"The Allfather had fallen into an Odinsleep," said Sif, "so the throne rested on Loki's shoulders in Thor's absence. He continually made excuses as to why he could not bring Thor home."

"So all of you snuck out and with Heimdall's help, ended up on Earth?" I asked. They nodded.

"After we reached Midgard and explained everything to Thor, that is when Loki sent the Destroyer," said Fandral. I knew everything about the incident with the Destroyer now from Jane. How Thor had given himself up in turn for the safety of Earth and that is when he became worthy of Mjolnir and his power again.

"He sent it when he realized you left?" Fandral nodded.

"We did not know when we left but Loki had made a deal with the Frost Giants to guide them into Asgard and kill Odin when he could not fight back," said Sif. "It was another show so that Loki could kill Laufey and become the treasured son. That façade was broken when we returned and Thor fought him."

"Loki had set the Bifrost open on Jotunheim," said Thor. "When that happens, the Bifrost begins to rip a world apart. Loki wanted to destroy the Frost Giants once and for all. In order to stop him, I hammered down on the Rainbow Bridge until the Bifrost fell." I covered my mouth with my hand. They were giving me a dumbed down version of the events and I didn't get why. Maybe it upset Thor to talk about it. I made a note to touch him later and see if I could fish for a specific memory. Before the Bifrost was broken was what I really wanted to know. "The shock from the blow threw Loki and I over the side. My father grabbed hold of me and when Loki tried for my father's affections again, he brushed them off and Loki let go." My heart pounded and I looked down at the table in front of me. None of it was out of the ordinary for Loki but I only began feeling bad for him again.

"If Loki fell into a portal opened by the Bifrost, why wouldn't he have gone through to Jotunheim instead of Earth?" asked Jane. The scientist in her needed to know these things. Thor's brow furrowed as he began thinking.

"He targeted Midgard because of my love for it and it's people. My guess is that he used his powers to get him there, whether he willingly acknowledged it or not."

"So I found him right after you fought?" I asked. Thor nodded. "And everyone thought Loki was dead when he fell?" That's when my conversation with those serving girls clicked. They associated me falling with Loki falling. No matter what, I wouldn't have let go in that situation. Loki had some kind of courage to fall and not really know where he'd end up.

"We mourned him, Charlotte," said Thor. "That was no lie." I shook my head.

"That's not what I'm saying. Of course you were upset. I would never accuse you of not being sad about it. But Heimdall kept his watch on Jane for you. It wouldn't have been hard to figure out that Loki was holed up with me. Heimdall can see anything." Thor began smiling and I noticed the Warriors Three exchange a few looks. Sif again seemed like she wanted to roll her eyes. What the hell was going on?

"He can," said Hogun, "but Loki has abilities very few Asgardians have." I raised my eyebrows.

"He can disguise himself?"

"Yes," said Sif. "Heimdall remarked that he had no reckoning of Loki's plan for letting the Frost Giants in that last time because when he turned his gaze on him, he could not see anything."

"So while he was on Earth, he hid himself? How did you ever know to come at all?"

"Because of you," said Thor. "I am sorry I was not completely truthful with you about things on Asgard at first. I was not sure you could be trusted. I lied about a new Bifrost, I lied about knowing who you were, and I lied about knowing where Loki was."

"Why?" I asked. I had wanted the answer to why he had lied about Asgard for a long time but I knew he couldn't have completely trusted me. That would've been stupid. "Wait a minute… are you saying you knew who I was before I ever met you?" Thor nodded. "How? What the hell's going on?" Jane beside me looked confused.

"Heimdall had seen you before once when you encountered Jane a little while after I had returned to Asgard. From then on, he did not see you and it was not something anyone paid attention to, given you were not working with Jane. Later on, it was known that when Loki hid himself, he hid you too."

"How is that possible?" asked Jane. "The energy it probably took just to cover himself… and on top of that, he protected Charlotte? Even when she wasn't in her house with him?" Thor nodded, smiling further.

"Why would he bother with that?" I asked. "I wasn't recognizable to Heimdall so why on Earth would he bother?"

"I asked him when we returned after what he did to your realm and he said it was instinctual. He thought he could use you to his advantage."

"So from that, you thought I was working with him?"

"Originally, yes and I apologize for thinking so badly of you. You would protect Midgard at all costs and I know that now." I nodded.

"Apology accepted. But you still haven't told me how you knew to come at all. Did Loki somehow slip up?"

"You could say that," said Fandral. Volstagg knocked him with his elbow so I turned back to Thor curiously. What the hell had happened?

"He let his guard down one night when he was with you and Heimdall saw him for however short a time it was," said Thor.

"Well, when?" I asked. Now they had hooked me. I needed to know now.

"It was once when he kissed you." I thought my heart would stop and I felt Jane touch my arm.

"I don't- I just don't understand. We were in a relationship. We kissed a bunch of times. How could he have let his guard down?"

"Emotions were probably clouding his head and I should not have to remind you that Loki has never been close with a woman before."

"Oh, my God," I said, letting it sink in.

"It might've been when he began to view you as something more than an ally," said Jane. "It might be when he knew you were genuine."

"Wow. Just wow," I said. Thor nodded, grinning.

"My brother does truly care for you, Charlotte. So your conscience is clean when you think of helping him," said Thor. I nodded.

"Well, thanks for telling me everything." Thor nodded.

"I will tell my father of our idea of banishing Loki to Midgard on the morrow. For now, we must all sleep." I nodded and rose out of my chair.

After Sif and the Warriors Three left, Thor and Jane turned to me. "You would seriously consider letting Loki come back to Earth?" asked Jane.

"It wasn't my idea," I muttered.

"It is a fine plan and it is punishment enough for Loki," said Thor.

"You mean punishment enough for the Avengers? Not a single one of them will condone this, Thor. _I _don't condone this."

"If I come, he will constantly be under my supervision."

"You're not a glorified babysitter, Thor. You're a prince! A prince with responsibilities who is bound to take this throne fairly soon. None of us would ask you to give that up."

"I wish to come to Earth."

"There are better reasons," said Jane.

"That's for sure," I said. "Loki is dangerous. Powers or no powers, the Avengers won't be taking any chances."

"Do you not want him there, Charlotte?" asked Thor. He gave me a look that was brokenhearted enough to put Loki to shame.

"I don't know what I want, Thor. I wanna be able to work through my emotional problems without having to worry about Loki tearing the city apart. I do still have a moral compass, you know. It may not seem like it at times but I have to think about my job now and Fury will kick me out if I let my emotions get in the way. It's not that I don't want Loki to have a lesser punishment, it's that I'm worried that this is more of a punishment for Earth than it would be for him."

"Whatever my father chooses cannot be rebuked, Charlotte. If banishment is chosen, I would prefer for him to be on Midgard and closer to you than on Alfheim or any other realm." I nodded.

"Let me think on it and I'll decide whether I'm for it or against it in the morning."

a


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey ya'll! I'm sorry for the incredibly long wait. There's no excuse for it other than laziness. I hope you like the new chapter and please tell what you think! There are lots of memories in this chapter though, all from the Thor movie. So bear with that. And as usual, I own nothing except Charlotte.**

After another fitful night of sleep, I got up and visited Thor and Jane. I didn't need anyone to spell out to me what they'd been doing all night. Thor insisted on Jane and I just having a few days to tour Asgard, especially after I finally gave him the nod regarding our plan. "I will speak with my father about this and then I will take you both home," said Thor triumphantly.

"You don't need me to say anymore testimony?" I asked. Thor shook his head.

"I have already spoken with my mother about that and she believes that you gave enough information yesterday."

"We _were _there for practically eight hours," said Jane. I nodded. I was glad to be let off the hook for at least a few days but this trip was beginning to look like a total bust. The Asgardians were obviously scared of me, I was slacking on training, I was having to lie to Director Fury about what was going on, and now they didn't even want my testimony? Why the hell was I even here? I'd spoken with Loki only once and that seemed to be the gem of the trip. It hadn't even been a pleasant conversation.

"Look, I'm all about enjoying what Asgard has to offer," I began, "but I am here to help Loki. Are you absolutely sure that your mother doesn't want anything else from me? Better yet, are you sure Odin got enough out of it? I just said stuff that happened that I assumed everyone already knew."

"You defended him, Charlotte. That is all I or my mother asked," said Thor. "What is greater is that you spoke the truth about what happened. My father recognized that. He and my mother have been speaking with each other constantly about what to do about Loki. I believe she might be convincing him of a lesser sentence."

"So you're taking a page out of Loki's book and waiting for the opportune moment to swoop in and give Odin this 'brilliant' idea about banishing Loki the way he did you?"

"That's the gist of his idea," said Jane. I put my head in my hands and walked around.

"Okay, if that's what you wanna do, do it and do it fast. Now might be the moment he'd be open to some help." Jane nodded. "I've just given my testimony about stuff they didn't know about because Loki hid me from Heimdall originally. They also know he saved my life. Me, a Midgardian. They're gonna be thinking he's redeemable. Whether he is or isn't, now is the prime time to offer up a punishment. If Earth is the way you're leaning, I'll make do. The Avengers will make do."

"Would it be easier on all of them if Earth and Asgard decided to be allies?" asked Jane. Thor and I snapped our heads around to look at her. She just might have a point. "I mean, both places would feel more secure in this decision if there was a reward. Being allies would help everyone involved." I nodded and looked over at Thor.

"I think that's a really good idea actually."

"Charlotte and I will play the vessels for the alliance in both realms," said Thor. "I will tell my father of those benefits and he will be even more inclined to allow banishment for Loki."

"Wait, why me?" I asked.

"Logically, you're here right now and you're a member of S.H.I.E.L.D.," said Jane. "I don't think Earth in general is ready for full knowledge of Asgard."

"They know about aliens now, Jane."

"Still, being private about this agreement would have it's advantages." I nodded. Thor nodded and extended his hand. I reached and took it in mine. We were simulating the agreement but I was eager for the physical contact. Thor had a bastion of memories to sort through but whenever I touched him, there was no rhyme or reason to what I saw. More than anything, I saw him as a child. This time I got exactly what I wanted.

"Why have you done this?" I demanded but of course, it was Thor's memory. I was in what I assumed was the Bifrost and Loki was across the way from me, holding the kingly scepter I'd seen Odin handle.

"To prove to father that I am a worthy son!" Loki responded, his voice full of vitriol. Thor felt a pang at the mention of that. Where had Loki gotten that idea from? They were brothers. "When he wakes, I will have saved his life. I will have destroyed that race of monsters! And I will be the true heir to the throne!" I solemnly took a step back and received that idea in good form before responding.

"You cannot kill an entire race!" As Thor, I felt immense sympathy for lesser beings now. Jane had proven that discrimination would not make Asgard go farther.

"Why not?" asked Loki sassily, moving his hand to his chest and gesturing with that scepter. "And what is this newfound love for the Frost Giants?" He was walking forward now and I noticed how much younger he looked here. It was like he'd aged years during the fall to Earth when I found him. This had been maybe a day before I'd met him. But Thor's memory took grand hold of me again and I felt Thor solemnly look at Loki. "You, who would have killed them all with your bare hands."

"I have changed," Thor responded and again, the thought of Jane overpowered anything else.

"So have I." I felt a sharp blow to the side of my face and I turned immediately. When I looked defiantly back at Loki, his grip on that scepter tightened. "Now fight me." He hit me harder, causing me to fall and it was then I realized I had Mjolnir. But I refused to hit him back. Thor was a far better person than I was. "I never wanted the throne!" Loki snarled, coming towards me again as I stood. "I only ever wanted to be your equal." I saw the tears in his eyes and I knew Thor had too.

"I will not fight you, brother!" Thor answered, although Loki's words had hurt him indefinitely.

"I am not your brother," he spat. "I never was." He sounded cold and Thor only responded with a brokenhearted look.

"Loki, this is madness!"

"Is it madness? Is it? Is it?" he cursed out, his voice changing from smooth to rough effortlessly. "What happened to you on Earth that turned you so soft? Do not tell me it was that woman!" A single tear slipped down Loki's face but Thor returned a look of anger. He wouldn't stand for anything said against Jane. "Oh, it was. Well, maybe when we are finished here, I will pay her a visit myself!" Thor snapped and charged, grasping Mjolnir and I jerked away from Thor's grasp before I saw anything else.

"Charlotte, are you okay?" Jane asked. I rubbed my face with my hands and slowly, I nodded. "You look like you're going to be sick."

"What did you see?" asked Thor gravely. I could tell by the look on his face that he'd vaguely already figured it out. He had a group of memories that he didn't want me to see, that Loki didn't want me to see. It all made sense now why Loki had seemed incensed at the idea of my seeing any one of Thor's memories.

"A fight, that's all I saw," I responded. "A fight with a Frost Giant. It wasn't anything like what I expected when I touched you. It just took me by surprise." I wasn't even lying but Thor seemed to believe me.

"I should be more cautious in touching you. I keep forgetting that you have this gift now."

"It's not so much a gift," I responded.

"Thor, maybe you should get your father to agree to the banishment today and talk about the alliance. Then tonight or tomorrow, formally you and Charlotte could shake on it in front of a crowd," said Jane. What? An agreement? When I finally remembered, Thor had gone on responding.

"I will do that right now. As for now, you and Charlotte can dine together then Sif and the Warriors Three will show you around the grounds," he said. I solemnly nodded. Sure, why not? I liked Sif and the Warriors Three and I would enjoy spending time with Jane since she was the only other human around and we were experiencing Asgard together. But there was something missing. "If I get the Allfather to agree to this, he will allow Loki to come out of his cell and spend time with us." Thor looked at me now and I nodded. This was something I could be happy about. "The rest of your time here shall be splendid and not marked with duty."

"Speaking of that, when are we leaving?" asked Jane. "Erik said something about humans only being able to spend a few weeks here-"

"It was two," I said.

"With the exception of getting married." Jane had clearly ignored my comment and so had Thor. "I don't know how Erik knew all that but I seemed to believe him."

"The two of you may stay as long as you like. The loophole of marriage should not be hard to bypass," said Thor. But the way he was looking at Jane indicated that marriage was _exactly_ what he'd had in mind by bringing her here.

"Look, I can't stay longer than two weeks," I said. Thor looked confused and maybe a little saddened. "First of all, the marriage loophole thing is not something I'm gonna go for. Secondly, if your father agrees to Loki's banishment to Earth, I need to be able to explain to the Avengers what will be happening. And thirdly, I have to pick up Steve at the airport next Friday because it's the first time he's officially come home from a mission in months and he doesn't exactly know I'm here."

"You didn't tell him you were coming?" asked Jane.

"I didn't really have the time, did I?"

"But you told Tony and Bruce not to tell him? I mean, I understand not telling Agent Coulson and Director Fury because they wouldn't go for the idea but… you didn't want to tell Steve?" Thor was looking slyly in my direction and I felt color rise to my cheeks.

"I don't wanna spell out why I didn't want him to know, okay? Besides, if he knew something like this was going on, he might lapse during a mission and it could get him killed. I'm doing him a favor."

"Were you planning on lying about this when you got back?" I nodded with my fingers tracing my chin and my arms crossed.

"Can't exactly do that now that Loki and Thor may be coming back but that was the plan." Jane made a face. "Why would I tell anyone where I'd been? Or what I was doing? The agency is just coming around to trusting me again and them knowing what I came here for would destroy every bit of my credibility."

"You do not have to make excuses," said Thor, grinning.

"Stop it," I moaned. "It's not a joke."

"But of course, I will have you back in time to fetch Rogers from a mission." Thor was laughing now and Jane began to smile. I thought my blood might start boiling.

"Don't make fun of me! I'm really excited." Thor patted me on the arm, still laughing, and made to leave.

"Speaking of Steve," began Jane as she sat down to eat, "what was Tony saying before we left? That you have a new partner?" I slunk down in the chair beside her and I just felt like falling back out of it.

"Yeah, apparently I do," I responded. I reached for the wine on the table, no longer caring what time it was or how alcoholic it truly was.

"Why do I get the feeling you aren't excited about it?" I shrugged.

"I had to recruit the guy a couple of days ago and he's a nasty piece of work. He was brainwashed by the Soviets and it's clearly taken it's toll on him. Let's just say he didn't like me much."

"The Soviets?" Jane didn't correct me like she usually would have. She knew that I truly meant what I was talking about.

"His name's Bucky. He was Steve's best friend during the war… and he knew who I was long before I met him. I mean, he really knows everything." Jane looked up from a piece of fruit in disbelief.

"How is that possible?" Again, I shrugged.

"Some sort of chemical they used keeps him young. He's aged maybe five years in all this time. His attitude's as sharp as ever though." I drank some of the wine and tried to keep my expression plain.

"And he doesn't like you because of…" I nodded.

"I don't actually blame him for that. It's kind of understandable. I'd feel the same if some girl did to Steve the sort of stuff I've done." I ate a bit of cheese and kept from looking straight at Jane.

"But you haven't done anything wrong. You weren't dating him. In fact, you've never dated him. How can somebody be angry at you for getting into something when you didn't even realize Steve had feelings for you?"

"Yeah but I should've. And it doesn't change what happened when I _did _know." I paused before saying anything else. "I could've gotten them both killed."

"That sort of rivalry doesn't land on your shoulders, Charlotte. You didn't pit them against each other so you shouldn't feel guilty. Besides, the two of them barely interacted."

"Well, what am I gonna do if Loki has to come to Earth? Have a tea party? Take the two of them to my next therapy session? Write out a pros and cons list on Tony's wall-wide whiteboard?" Jane looked at me then and I thought she might actually feel for me.

"I don't know what to tell you. Steve is clearly the better guy but I date an Asgardian too so I can't exactly tell you it's a bad idea." I breathed out harshly.

"It's just one step at a time. I resigned myself to thinking I'd never see Loki again but he was still pretty prominent in my thoughts. Now with this potentially on the horizon, I'm not sure where I'm gonna land… or where any of the Avengers will land, for that matter."

At that moment, Sif and the Warriors Three bounded into the room. Luckily Jane and I were already dressed and ready to go. I was clad in the armor Thor had made sure was waiting on me. It wasn't more comfortable than the dresses they normally made us wear but it had been much easier to get into.

The entire day was filled with sight-seeing. I feigned interest in everything they showed us but I was already feeling homesick after being in Asgard only a few days. The trip had been exhausting thus far and I'd only spoken to Loki once, despite him being within walking distance. It wasn't to say that Asgard wasn't brilliant because it was and I admired everything they had built but the tour itself (if you could call it one) was designed basically for Jane. They took us places so that she could analyze the star patterns and find books that described some of the magic that occurred in Asgard. I don't know what I expected to see but I certainly didn't expect it to be a scientific tour exclusively.

But what would they have shown me? How would they know of anything here that would interest me? I was an alien to them. In fact, maybe I was worse off than Loki had been when I found him on Earth. Loki had always had the ability to travel between realms at will. He'd seen something of Earth before he fully integrated into it. I had nothing to go on with Asgard. The people were wary of me, the layout of the place was beyond confusing, and I missed being at home.

Thor and Odin didn't join us at dinner that night but I noticed they'd let Loki sit closer than usual. In fact, he was only two full seats away from me. Frigga and Jane carried on a conversation with me for a while and Sif and the Warriors Three were talking amongst themselves for the entire meal. Loki, even though the muzzle wasn't on, was silent and barely even looked my way.

The next few days passed uneventfully. Sif and I sparred a little while the Warriors Three continued training and Jane was reading one of the books she'd found on our first tour. None of us had heard anything from Thor other than that discussions were still ongoing. I was beginning to think it was looking bad, considering I hadn't even seen Loki at the past few meals all of us shared.

It was a week and a couple of days after Jane and I had arrived in Asgard before we heard the final decision. Odin had called for another feast and I gladly attended this one. A feast could only mean one thing; that they'd agreed on a course of action and it was one that was pleasing. I sat beside Thor and Jane again at the table at the head of the room and Thor grinned at me. We'd gotten what we wanted. I smoothed the ruffles in my forest green dress and waited for Odin to make the announcement.

As the Allfather stood beside Frigga, the doors at the back of the room opened and Loki was led in, wearing only the handcuffs this time. The corner of his mouth turned up in a smile when he saw me and I felt myself smile back.

"My fellow Asgardians, a decision has been made regarding my son's punishment," said Odin. I saw Loki hide a grimace. "He is to go to Midgard, the realm he nearly destroyed, in the near future to atone for his actions against an innocent race. The young prince Thor will accompany him and once Loki has proven himself worthy, he may return here."

"I can't believe this really worked," I whispered to Thor.

"Midgard and Asgard have agreed to an alliance during times of war to help one another. The team of Avengers will respond to our call of help and we will respond to theirs." I zoned out when Thor grabbed my hand to pull me up. We had to agree to the alliance formally before the feast began.

A memory sliced through me and the feeling I got was familiar; it was falling. But this time, I didn't even regard my own life; I only cared about securing Loki. My eyes flashed open and there he was, clutching the end of kingly scepter he'd been holding minutes earlier. My ankle was caught in the Allfather's hand and I barely heard Loki speak. "I could have done it, Father! For you! For all of us!" His voice was breaking and seconds later, Loki's expression turned to one of heartbreak.

"No, Loki." The Allfather had spoken all he was apparently going to and Loki realized that as surely as Thor did. My body felt the free-fall again when Loki let go and I screamed his name.

Thor let go of my hand and I realized I must've gasped or done something he'd have noticed. He gave me a look and I nodded. Moving to the front of the long dining table and the edge of the stairs, Thor and I stood facing each other. "At the agreement of this alliance, Loki will be set free until such time on the morrow when Thor and our honored guests are to return to Midgard," said Odin. Tomorrow? They seriously wanted us to leave together tomorrow? Hell no. This was not happening.

I side-glanced out at the tables and the Asgardians were clearly still regarding me warily and I had to admit, I didn't exactly blame them. This decision had ultimately been hasty and it had all been down to me and Thor and like they understood Thor's involvement. As if he or Odin or even Frigga would feel the need to inform everybody in this realm that Thor loved Loki and wished for him to be set free. They'd think him insane. This was all pinned on my arrival.

"Asgard will come to Midgard's and the Avengers' aid, if they should call on us," said Thor, extending his broad hand toward me.

"As the Avengers will come to Asgard's," I responded. I reached forward and clasped his hand and tried to shake off any memory his skin thought I should see. It was what we'd rehearsed and it went through. I heard the clanking of Loki's chains being taken off and I tried not to smile. When Thor let go of my hand, I almost hugged him.

At the very least, Thor had gotten what he'd wanted from me being here. I'd done my part in trying to save Loki's life but I certainly didn't think it evened the playing field between the two of us. He wasn't exactly falling off the side of Stark Tower.

Odin proclaimed that the feast could begin and Thor made his way back behind the table to his seat beside Jane. I leaned across and asked him, Frigga, and to a certain extent, Odin a question. "Now that Loki is technically not a prisoner anymore, I wondered if I could eat my dinner with him?" I asked lowly.

"I dare say he would quite enjoy your company, Lady Charlotte," said Odin. He wasn't the one I'd expected to respond, given the way he'd reacted to me days ago at that trial. Since then, I'd tried my best to avoid the Allfather. I'd made a fool of myself in front of him way too much. "Join him and perhaps Thor will a bit later. There is something the two of us need to discuss." I nodded and backed off. They probably needed to talk about what to do regarding the throne that Thor was set on having and would now be put off by him returning to Earth.

People stared at me again but I didn't care anymore. I'd come here for Loki and it was high time that we'd gotten to interact. The one evening I'd talked to him and he'd been bitter about my being there had only made me feel worse. Now that something had actually come of me travelling to Asgard, he might be a bit more pleasant.

Loki shook his head at me slightly before I sat down across from him. His hair was longer than mine and I found it hard to believe that he could find that much hair gel. Actually, how in the hell did he manage to slick his hair back all the time? "What was that for?" I asked as I grabbed some bread and cheese. Loki was, again, alone at the end of one of the tables but that didn't mean we couldn't see that we were clearly the source of entertainment for the night. Sif and the Warriors Three were barely looking at their food for staring at us, even Volstagg.

"You are already an outcast in your own realm, why should you be one here?" he responded before looking at me under his hooded lids. The corner of his mouth turned up in a smile and I returned it.

"If I didn't care at home, why would I care here?" I pushed a bit of bread in my mouth and that seemed to make him relax further. He ate too for a while.

"Do you quite like it in Asgard?"

"Is it rude for me to say no?" I practically whispered. He smirked.

"I do not like it much either."

"Come on. Don't lie for my sake. I know this is your home. I just don't fit in." Loki's dark eyebrows had furrowed when I'd said Asgard was his home but he'd quickly gone back to normal.

"But the clothing does fit you." I looked down at my dress and snorted.

"We both know that that's a lie." Wait a minute, did Loki just _chuckle_? I mean, he actually laughed at a comment I made. I laughed a bit too and when someone further down the long table glared down toward us, I turned and made a face. She quickly went back to staring at her goblet and I laughed again. Loki was biting his lower lip to keep from cracking up. "She's so scared of us."

"We make quite the terrible two." I smiled and went back to eating my dinner. Asgardian food was actually rather addictive, even if I'd only stuck to the bread and a few of the fruits. Minutes later, Loki broke the silence again. "Do I have you to thank for this?" I looked up at him finally and shrugged.

"You don't need to thank me but I'm not really sure what you mean." I raised my goblet to my mouth and drank some of the strong wine. I winced and put it back down when he responded.

"Did you bargain for Midgard or did he?" For once, Loki actually looked hopeful but I couldn't lie to him about it. Banishment to Earth had not been my idea and in fact, I hadn't even wanted it when it was suggested to me.

"I came here to bargain for a lesser sentence and that's what you got," I said. His eyes darkened slightly and I wanted to roll mine. We'd actually had a lighthearted moment for once in this long and tenuous relationship we had and he had already moved on from it.

"Then why was Midgard chosen? Surely, it had something to do with the two of us." He wanted me to come out and say that I'd wanted him close when I hadn't.

"No, it didn't. Thor chose it because you did, after all, almost destroy it and if you owe any realm anything, you owe quite a bit to Earth." His face contorted into some kind of disappointment and I hadn't expected it, for once. "But we will be close this way. I just can't guarantee you that things between us can be the same once you return."

"And why is that?" His eyes met mine and I caught the underlying accusation.

"No, he's got nothing to do with this." Loki arched one of his eyebrows before pushing his plate away from him. "Okay, maybe a little bit, but only because he is the leader of the Avengers and I'm not exactly sure that they'll take you being back as a good thing."

"I would not have expected them to. After all, I will have my magic when I go to your realm." I had forgotten that. I actually wanted to smile when I thought of all the stuff Loki would do to them and be able to get away with.

"Well, it'd be in your best interest to keep that to a minimum for at least a few days." He smirked over at me and I understood that he wouldn't be taking my advice.

I felt someone clap me on the back seconds later and I knew it was Thor. When I turned to smile up at him, the look on his face was grave. I felt him grip my arm and practically pull me out of my seat and I looked across at Loki, who was sensing something was wrong too. "Loki, you and Charlotte must accompany me to my quarters right away," said Thor. I looked between the two of them again, looking practically horrified. Loki had wanted to be impudent, as I could tell from the look on his face, but Thor's grip tightened on my arm and Loki gave in, standing to follow us.

"What's going on?" I asked as Thor dropped his iron-tight grip on my arm. I turned to look at the table at the head of the room and Frigga, Jane, and Odin were all gone. So were Sif and the Warriors Three when I looked to where they'd been sitting.

"Charlotte, I will have to take you and Jane back to Midgard immediately," said Thor. "An attempt has been made on Jane's life."

"What?!" Thor was leading the two of us now and I practically ran to keep up. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"It is not safe for us to speak of this now." Thor gave me another grave look and I nodded, falling back to a normal pace. I exchanged a look with Loki to verify that he'd heard what was going on and he looked rather crestfallen. Oh God, did they think he'd done it? _Had_ he done it?

"I did not-" Loki whispered down at me.

"I know," I responded. He looked genuine and what reason would he have to go after Jane? He'd just been given his freedom and he hadn't exactly had the time to do something in the middle of the feast.

Loki grasped my hand as we kept walking toward Thor's quarters and I almost jerked away when I felt something but then I realized, it was a memory and one he probably didn't want me to see.

I had no idea where I was. Wait, yes, I did, the weapons vault. They were keeping the cosmic cube here now but this was before it had been moved. I was clutching something that I thought looked quite a bit like the cube but the memory filled in that blank for me. It was the casket of power for the Jotunns that Odin had taken the day he defeated them.

"Stop!" That was Odin's voice. I'd barely picked the thing up and there he was. I let the power of the casket travel up my arms and it was freezing. Ice ran through my veins and when I looked at my hands again, they were that eerie blue of the Frost Giants.

"Am I cursed?" I heard Loki's voice choke out.

"No." But I felt that I was. I knew that I was.

"What am I?" I feared the outcome of the question when I already knew the answer.

"You are my son." I placed the casket down and turned, letting Odin see the full extent of the change.

"What more than that?" I felt the cold running out of me as the blue faded and as myself, I was grateful but as Loki, I only felt pain. "The casket was not the only thing you took from Jotunheim that day, was it?" I was walking toward him now and I was only getting angrier.

"No. During the aftermath of the battle, I went into the temple and I found a baby. Small, for a giant's offspring. Abandoned, suffering, left to die. Laufey's son." I felt something in me break.

"Laufey's son?"

"Yes." I turned my head away for a second before snapping back. I didn't understand it.

"Why? You were knee-deep in Jotun blood. Why would you take me?"

"You were an innocent child." Oh please.

"No. You took me for a purpose. What was it? Tell me!" I practically yelled.

"I thought we could unite our kingdoms one day, bring about an alliance, bring about permanent peace through you." I still didn't quite get it and Loki's pain overwhelmed me. I could feel tears springing to my eyes and I felt pathetic. He'd known it for a while that he couldn't have been related but he'd still hoped. Maybe when he had this conversation, the outcome would be different than what he thought it would be. "But those plans no longer matter."

"So I am no more than another stolen relic, locked up here until you might have use of me?" My voice was breaking and I could hardly keep my tears back. I was so angry, so hurt.

"Why do you twist my words?"

"You could have told me what I was from the beginning. Why didn't you?" I demanded.

"You are my son. I wanted only to protect you from the truth."

"What? Because I am the monster who parents tell their children about at night?" I couldn't bare it much longer. I'd snap. "You know, it all makes sense now why you favored Thor all these years because no matter how much you claimed to love me, you could never have a Frost Giant sitting on the throne of Asgard!" I'd barely noticed how I'd gotten into Odin's face with all this but instead of responding, he only shut up and seemed to fall on the stairs. Oh God, the Odinsleep. Had I done this? The anger left me and was quickly replaced with only fear.

Loki pulled his hand away from me quickly and gave me a strange look. Thor was still walking ahead of us and we'd made good time. How I had managed to continue walking was seriously a miracle. "Are you alright?" I heard Loki's melodic voice ask. "I forgot that if I touched you, you saw something." He actually looked worried about my wellbeing. I bet the color had drained from my face. "What was it that you saw?" Maybe he was worried that I'd seen something I shouldn't have. But I didn't care. I pulled Loki to me and hugged him.

I'd really had tears in my eyes when I was pulled back from that memory. Loki held me solidly and I knew he knew what I'd seen, at least in some capacity. I shook a little and slowly let him go. "Come on, we have to catch up," I said. I walked forward and tried to forget what I'd seen for the time being.

So far, the couple of memories I'd gotten from Loki had been the most potent. I'd found it was far easier to slip into his skin in the memories than it was for me with other people. The two times I'd touched Loki, I'd half-forgotten it was a memory I was in and not something that was happening to me in real time. "What did you see?" Loki muttered when he was walking beside me again. Hmm, maybe he didn't really know.

"You were talking to Odin and-"

"Oh," he said, successfully cutting me off before we entered Thor's room.

"Don't let me stand near him. I might punch him in the face," I whispered to Loki when I saw the Allfather on the other side of the room with Jane and Frigga. Loki only smiled down at me. Sif and the Warriors Three bounded in behind us and I grabbed Loki's hand to move us away from the door. This time, nothing happened when I touched him. There weren't even sparks of anything from what I could tell and normally, that wasn't what happened. I had to fight the memories off. Was I losing the power? Or was Loki doing something?

"What happened?" asked Sif. Jane looked fine, as far as I could tell. Thor was by her side and Odin and Frigga were clearly worried.

"The Dark Elves tried to poison Jane with one of their dark spirits," said Thor. Sif and the Warriors Three gasped and Loki tightened his grip on my hand. I, as usual, had no idea what the hell was going on.

"I'm sorry but what in the hell are the Dark Elves?" I asked.

"The Dark Elves are a race from Svartalheim and they have never been particularly fond of Thor," said Fandral.

"Thanks for filling in the blank. But why exactly go for Jane?" I didn't ignore it when I saw most everyone in the room stare Loki and I's hands together. Whatever. It was keeping me steady and it might've been doing the same thing for him.

"I think it is obvious why they went for Jane," said Thor. "They wish to hurt me."

"Because they know you will ascend the throne soon?" asked Sif.

"They know it is set," he responded. Thor glanced over at me and I nodded. We knew he had to become king at some point. None of us could hold him to Earth, even if we wanted to. "But they did not try to harm Charlotte and that does give me pause." I raised my eyebrows. Why would they have tried anything with me to begin with? "If they wished to harm me, they could have killed them both." Thor looked at me and I felt Loki's fingers fold over mine again. Thor and I were close friends and he'd made that plain.

"They would not touch Lady Charlotte," said Hogun, "if Loki is still in contact with them."

"I have been to their realm but I am certainly not their ally," said Loki.

"Brother, you must help me go to their realm and settle this," said Thor, fast approaching us. Loki tensed beside me. He hadn't expected to be asked for help but this would only make him feel better, I thought.

"Why?" asked Loki.

"Because you know the way and because you can help me more than anyone else with them."

"Could either of you be killed?" I asked.

"I should think not but Jane would have been subjected to a fate worse than death had the spirit taken hold of her. They must pay for trying to hurt her."

"I agree but don't you think you're being a little rash?" I saw Jane nod from across the room. She didn't want Thor to go on this wild goose chase any more than I did.

"They wished to have my attention and now they do, Charlotte." He turned back to Loki then. "Brother, I cannot do this without you by my side."

"Allow me a moment to think," Loki responded. Thor nodded and walked off. Odin and Jane went about discussing things with Thor and I saw that Sif was eager to join him when he went to confront the Dark Elves or whatever they were. "Should I offer him my help?" Loki's voice shook me from my thoughts as he turned to face me.

"Are you really asking my opinion on what you should do?" I asked. "That doesn't exactly fit the bill of things you would typically want."

"You think it is folly for Thor to pursue it." I shrugged.

"I think it's dangerous and yeah, it is a bit of a 'folly.'"

"I would have thought that you would have supported it." I pursed my lips.

"And why is that?"

"If the same thing had happened to one of your friends, say the one you are so fond of, would you not be willing to strike out for revenge?" I openly rolled my eyes.

"He's got a name and you know what it is. It's not like he's Voldemort or something and you're not gonna be killed for saying it. Steve. Steve is his name and yes, I probably would but it doesn't mean it's the smart decision. Besides, I thought you were still on your I-hate-Thor kick. Why are you behind anything he wants to do?" This time Loki shrugged but I could tell he actually did want to help him. Maybe he thought it would make up for what he'd done or maybe he just thought it would bring Thor and him closer again. Either way, that was something I could support. "Well, I'm pretty sure Thor's gonna do it no matter what anyone else says and I think we'd all rather that he be travelling with you instead of with the tesseract. God knows, if anyone needs a guide, it's Thor." I do have a gift with reading people and Thor's intent was clear.

"You would support my helping him?"

"Yeah, I certainly would. The two of you can come on to Earth when you're finished with that and we can discuss everything else then too." The corner of Loki's mouth turned up in a grin. Was he trying to change? Damn, this was seriously like an alternate universe. Unless there was something else in it for Loki and I couldn't see that there was.

"Thor, I will join you," said Loki as he walked away from me. I tried to conceal my smile when I saw the pure joy that lit up Thor's face. That's all Thor had really wanted from it too.

"Then it is settled," Thor said. "I will take Charlotte home tonight and Jane on the morrow in case she has been affected by anything." I nodded and walked forward after everyone went back to talking. Frigga stood and hugged me and her warmth filled me with a happiness I'd rarely felt. There was just something about her and Thor that completely put me at ease.

"It has been a genuine pleasure to spend time with you, Lady Charlotte," she said as she pulled away. "I can only hope that you will return to Asgard sometime soon." I nodded.

"Thanks so much for your hospitality," I said. My inner Southern belle was a nice secret weapon sometimes.

From there, the Allfather stood and he offered me his hand. I warily took it and the memory I caught was small. I could only see out of one eye but I was holding a baby; a baby with blue skin. It was gone as soon as it came and I nodded at Odin. "Thank you for welcoming me so graciously, Allfather," I said.

"Thank you for rescuing my son," he responded. "If there is anyone for him, I am glad to say that it is you." I half-smiled and glanced at Loki who was still having a conversation with Thor. "You were right in accusing me of making mistakes with Loki but I think that in some way, you have made up for them."

"I didn't stop him from almost obliterating my world, sir."

"No, but you did help him in other ways, Lady Charlotte. He has found an equal in you." I smiled again. I remembered Thor's memory of Loki screaming that all he'd ever wanted was to be Thor's equal. Somehow, I think that's what Odin intended for me to think of.

"That means a lot to me, sir, and I'm sure it would mean a lot to him."

"I cannot tell him something he already knows. Leave now and be safe in your realm. You will return to us one day, Lady Charlotte. It cannot come soon enough." Jane rose then and engulfed me in a hug.

"Right when you get home tomorrow, come over to Stark Tower, okay?" I said. She nodded.

"I'll be there. And I'll bring Darcy." I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, okay, bring Darcy."

Sif and the Warriors Three said goodbye to me next. They promised to visit Earth again soon and then they could meet all the other Avengers. They were eager to show off their skills to them. I figured everyone would get something out of that.

Thor and Loki escorted me out of the room and down to mine to get my things. "They're really letting you roam around, aren't they?" I asked Loki as I threw my tool belt of knives into my huge bag.

"They are letting me say goodbye to you," he responded.

At that, Thor looked between the two of us and said, "I will retrieve the tesseract. It will be much easier for our travel, Charlotte," he said. I nodded and he walked out of the room. I'm not sure what he was expecting to happen when he closed the door behind him. But Loki did.

He crossed the room toward me and put his hands to my face and pressed his mouth to mine before I had the chance to protest. Immediately, my mind was whirling with images. It was like a memory-smorgasbord and when I pushed back, they went away. I could stop them. "Are you alright?" Loki had pulled away from me and I was grateful. The usual chill that came along with kissing him slowly eked away and I covered my face with my hands.

"I promised I wouldn't fall back in love with you," I responded but I knew I was smiling because he was. Tonight had been filled with ridiculous un-Loki-like behavior.

"You did?" he questioned saucily and he grabbed hold of me again.

"Yeah, I did. It's part of my job now. Like it literally says in the description, 'Charlotte cannot be happy.'" Before I knew it, I was laughing and Loki was smiling at me again.

"I never have been one for following the rules." He bent closer towards me and his voice practically drugged me into submission. He sounded like silver bells.

"That's strange, neither have I." When his lips covered my own, I pushed back the memories and gave in. My hands linked behind his neck and I barely noticed that my hair fell out of whatever was securing it in place. I felt myself rise to the tips of my toes and one of my hands grabbed at the back of his neck. He made a noise in response and then I heard the door creak. I jerked away and Loki put at least two feet between us in a matter of seconds.

It was Thor, of course, and he strode into the room with a smirk on his face, holding the glass container with the cube inside. It was the same one that had transported Loki and Thor home months ago.

"You will just grasp the end and twist it," said Thor. "I can guide us to Stark Tower. As soon as you are safe, I will return here." I nodded.

"Okay, I understand," I said. Before Thor offered me the end to grab, I turned to Loki and I held him close for a minute. "Both of you need to be careful and I swear, if I find out that the two of you are just bitching at each other and not getting anywhere, you will feel my Midgardian wrath."

"I do not doubt it, Charlotte. But you need not worry. We will be safe and once this is taken care of, the two of us will join you on Midgard." I nodded.

"I can hardly wait," I responded. Loki had lost all of his cute happiness and had gone back to looking like a sourpuss. The fun and games were done for the time being.

"Thank you for coming here and doing what you have done for me and my family," said Thor. "You have been a true friend to me and I will never forget it. But you must do one more thing for me."

"Sure, I'll look out for Jane when she gets back tomorrow." He shook his head.

"I wish for you to keep yourself safe." I grinned.

"Well, I don't exactly have a good track record at that but I'll do my damnedest." Thor gave me a hearty grin and Loki gave me a solid nod before I followed Thor out onto the Rainbow Bridge. "Thanks for bringing me here, Thor," I said.

"You are welcome back any time," he said. When he offered me the end of the cylinder, I grabbed it and twisted. Blue light consumed us and I felt the pull of us travelling again. When I opened my eyes, I was standing on Tony's balcony.

**WHOO. We are finally out of Asgard. I can promise you that Steve will be in the next chapter and hopefully, I'll update sooner than it has been lately. And if you're interested, you can follow my blog. It's .com.**


	8. Chapter 8

Thor was gone before I'd had another thought and when I heard a loud noise, I turned to face the part of the balcony that jutted out over the city. Tony had had it set up specifically so that he could gradually get out of his suit with a little help from Jarvis. Clearly, that was what he was doing.

I heard the clank of the Iron Man armor and I saw Jarvis prepare to take it off him. I waved slightly and made my way inside. I threw my bag on the bar and waited for Tony to come in.

"Well, you look… medieval." I had never been gladder to hear that sarcastic tone in my life.

"That was the point," I responded, rummaging through the fridge.

"Any particular reason you've decided to eat me out of house and home?" Tony questioned, walking behind me. I rolled my eyes.

"I would if there was anything in here to eat."

"They didn't feed you on the alien planet? Well, tell me what you want and I'll get Happy to go get it."

"Seriously, Tony Stark, you are a godsend. I'd like a pepperoni, onion, and green pepper pizza. Deep dish, if you can find that. A three-layer chocolate cake with chocolate icing and a two liter Dr. Pepper." When I turned, Tony was texting my list on his iPhone to Happy. Gosh, had I missed iPhones. He looked at me and raised his eyebrows, daring me to continue.

"Is that all, Your Majesty?" I cracked a smile.

"Yes. And thanks for covering for me, if you did." He gave me a mocking look.

"Well, how was it? Ridiculous by the looks of that dress." I shrugged.

"It could've gone better but it also could've been worse. But there's something I've gotta tell you-" I cut off when my attention turned to the television in our living room. Tony's LA mansion was in ruins. Flames were smoldering on the ground and the camera cut to footage of the house falling into the Pacific. "Oh, my God, Tony, what happened?" I walked past him and down a couple of steps into our sunken living room.

"Uh, don't worry about it. I took care of it. It doesn't matter." I gestured at the TV with my arm.

"You took care of it?" He nodded at me. "How? Who did this?" My mind immediately summoned up Thanos.

"I know what you're thinking and no, a nonexistent alien didn't bomb my house. A stupid megalomaniac by the name of the Mandarin did. Well, he was a terrorist really-"

"Was anybody hurt? You weren't there, were you?" Tony made a face and my eyes grew wide. "You were inside the house when that happened?!" I pointed to the TV again right as it showed the house sliding off it's cliff into the ocean.

"Pepper was too but we're alright. I told you, I took care of it. And I'm not telling you anymore in case the press decide to pester you about it and you say something you shouldn't."

"Well, why? What did the guy want?"

"Look, Charlotte, there are a lot of people in this world who are jealous of what a success and what a suave guy I am. I can't answer that every time."

"You don't wanna tell me, do you?"

"Nope and before you ask, yes, Pepper and I broke up. It's my fault, as usual and that's off the list of conversation topics too."

"Oh, my God, are you serious?" Some serious stuff had gone down while I'd been gone.

"Not talking about it."

"Fine but I'm really sor-"

"Nope, that's talking about it."

"Okay… Well, there's something I need to tell you about what went down in Asgard and you might wanna sit down. You're not gonna like it." Tony rolled his eyes.

"Should Banner know? Bruce!" Tony called before I had the chance to answer.

I had no idea what time of day it actually was but I'd figured that Bruce was busy in the labs doing something. Don't tell me something had happened to him too.

I heard him emerge from the hall with our bedrooms down it and seconds later, I heard his voice. "What do you want?" he groaned. Oh, another late night in the labs was taking it's revenge on him.

"Guess who's back?" Tony asked. Bruce groggily turned his head toward me and I saw his eyes grow bigger.

"And I'm not married," I kidded.

"Wow, Charlotte, you are… You're in a Renaissance dress," said Bruce.

"Exactly my first thought," said Tony.

"How was it?" Again, I shrugged.

"It was okay but now that I've got the two of you together, there's something I have to tell you." I edged into the subject slowly. "It's got to do with Loki… and his punishment."

"You were able to help him?" I waved my hand from side to side; slightly. I'd slightly helped him.

"You finally told him to fuck off?" asked Tony.

"No," I snapped. No more than an hour ago, I'd been kissing Loki. "But seriously, ya'll might want to sit down." Tony raised his eyebrows but slowly sat down on a bar stool and Bruce skeptically did the same. "Look, this was not my idea and I don't want you to blame me even though I did sort of go along with it. But Loki's punishment has ended up basically being what Thor's punishment was." When they didn't automatically connect the dots, I went on. "The punishment that led the Destroyer here… where Thor met Jane."

"Wait, are you saying what I think you're saying?" asked Bruce. Tony's eyes were narrowing and I winced.

"Yeah, I kinda am. He's being banished here until he can prove himself worthy enough to return to Asgard. Thor is coming with him to help us keep him in line and he's going to be working with us. He has to sort of make it up to the realm for trying to kill everyone."

"This is a joke, right? Because even I have to admit, it's a good one," said Tony. I shook my head. "And you want me to believe you didn't want this?"

"No! I didn't want this at all, in any way, shape, or form. I was just trying to make sure he didn't get the death penalty or something. Thor is the one who wanted him here. It was all Thor's idea."

"But you went along with it because you and Thor are bros." I paused at Tony using the word "bros" but eventually moved on.

"I did oppose it for a long time but Thor kinda talked me into it."

"And he can't become 'worthy' again in France or somewhere?" asked Bruce.

"It doesn't work like that. You see, I agreed to an alliance with Asgard. Thor and I played the vessels for an alliance between our two worlds. If they're in trouble or need help with anything, say rehabilitating a fugitive, we, as in me and the Avengers, will come to their aid. And if we're in danger, say from a nonexistent alien, they'd come help us." Bruce and Tony looked between each other for a moment before turning back to me.

"You agreed to an _alliance _without consulting Fury?" asked Bruce. Tony slow clapped before standing.

"I figured you couldn't do anything worse to Fury than get with Loki and it seems I was wrong. Bravo, Charlotte! You are officially screwed," said Tony, walking into the kitchen.

"Do you really think so?" I muttered. "I thought maybe this would help everyone involved feel better about Loki being on Earth." Bruce looked like he was going to say something to make me feel better but Tony beat him to the punch.

"There is nothing in the entire universe that would make me feel better about this. I can guarantee you that there is nothing to sweeten the deal with S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Technically, you might've broken some law by not consulting any higher ups here before you went before a court of people that are basically aliens and decided to swear Earth's allegiance to them," said Bruce.

"I didn't swear Earth's allegiance to them and you know as well as I do that Asgardians aren't really aliens," I responded.

"They are aliens in the strictest sense of the word: they aren't from here."

"Yeah, well, what would either of you have done? A guy who is potentially one of the most powerful beings in the universe has declared that he is banishing his son to our world to make it up to us for past crimes. We can't exactly say no."

"Maybe you couldn't but I sure as hell could," replied Tony.

"And you would've insulted the guy who basically saved Earth from the Frost Giants. You need to learn a little diplomacy if you wanna do well in Asgard."

"I doubt you were so _diplomatic_ at first, Charlotte."

"No and therefore, I made quite a few mistakes and I was sorta bitched out for them. Believe me, I'm not gonna try and step on his toes any more than I have to."

"Will you and Thor have to agree to an alliance here as well?" asked Bruce, bringing me back to the topic at hand.

"Yeah, we thought we would. Well, Jane thought we would. The alliance thing was really her baby in all of this."

"Speaking of, where is Jane? I figured the two of you would return together." I shrugged.

"This is where something weird was going on. Apparently, during the feast after they announced that Loki and Thor would be coming back here, an attempt was made on Jane's life. I didn't see it but it was supposedly like a poison of some kind, in the form of a dark spirit. Some race of elves that's never really liked Thor thought they'd strike before he took the throne."

"You didn't see it? So they didn't touch you?" I shook my head.

"Thor was pretty shocked they didn't but apparently, Loki has had dealings with them before so that essentially made me safe."

"They kept Jane for monitoring?"

"Yeah, Thor just wanted to make sure nothing had slipped by his notice and she'll be back tomorrow. But he's incredibly pissed now and is gonna strike out to make them pay for trying to hurt Jane. After Loki and I talked, he agreed to help Thor get there. The two of them will arrive here when whatever's up with the elves is completely taken care of."

"The elves?" questioned Tony. "Don't tell me you mean 'Santa's helpers' kind of elves."

"I don't think I'm even talking 'Lord of the Rings' type of elves. They're pretty serious."

"Well, you know what else is pretty serious? The flu you had. Man, that you made this recovery in two weeks is a miracle."

"What the heck are you going on about?" Then it clicked. It was my cover story. Bruce and Tony had been selling some sick-with-the-flu story to Coulson and Fury this entire time. "Oh, so did they find it at all believable?"

"Given that you've never taken a sick day in all your years at S.H.I.E.L.D., they were pretty skeptical," said Bruce. "But we kept telling them that you felt too bad to come in and we refused to let them come here."

"Thanks," I said. "I guess I'll put on a fake cough."

"Yeah, you'd better," replied Tony. "That new partner of yours is a piece of work." I almost openly put my head in my hands. I had forgotten that I had to keep dealing with Bucky.

"What did he want?" I moaned.

"Well, he's called your phone at least three times every day which is as much as Coulson has but he's never left a message. Coulson, though, has. He says that Agent Barnes is not particularly fond of you and your extracurricular activities and that he's been saying as much to anyone in HQ that will listen."

"Of course, he has. The guy loathes me. I'm surprised he hasn't managed to get me fired or at least get another partner."

"Don't think he hasn't tried."

"Then why are we still together? Do I really need to keep paying for breaking Loki out?"

"It's not so much punishment as it is that they think there is no other suitable partner for either of you," said Bruce.

"I'm sorry?" I demanded. "Um, I can name more agents than my fingers and toes put together that would be more suitable to me. Not the least of which, is Steve."

"To be fair, Steve would match Bucky well too. They have worked together before and for a long time." I kept forgetting that Bruce had been the one to help me with Bucky's file originally. If there was anyone I could trust to know the basics, it was him.

"And we might as well tell you," said Tony, "they aren't gonna match you with an Avenger."

"Why wouldn't they?!" I exclaimed. "You're the one who said they were contemplating moving me up to that rank because of public knowledge and because of my newly acquired skill set. I was a fool to believe that would ever happen anyway but… What changed their minds?"

"Well, I'm not fully sure of how they do things at S.H.I.E.L.D. I'm sure that's more your area of expertise," said Bruce. "But when I was over at their labs last week, I overheard Agent Coulson and Agent Hill talking about Bucky. He's not exactly integrating into their system very well."

"Good," I said. I didn't ignore the look Bruce gave me.

"But they said he'd requested a new partner ten times over at least and everyone knows it's because of personal reasons; that he personally doesn't like you. As you can figure, Fury doesn't much care about that but Coulson did. He doesn't think either of you will be up to your full potential if you're arguing all the time. Hill was explaining that, in a perfect world, they'd want Thor to be your permanent partner. He's strong where you're weak, you're clever where he's not so much. Ideally, you're the perfect partners because you complete each other like puzzle pieces." I was definitely flattered by that. But even I had to admit, it was the clearest solution. If Thor lived here and was a regular agent, the two of us would work better together than if we were paired off with someone else.

"But obviously, that wouldn't work," I replied. Bruce nodded.

"In special circumstances, they'd allow you two to work together."

"So I can just wait until Thor and Loki hit Earth?" I asked hopefully. They wouldn't be leaving again for a long time, I was certain of that much. In the time they were here, maybe Bucky would gradually grow to get past what he didn't like about me.

"I really don't think so. You see, they went on to say that Bucky is in an incredibly fragile mind-state because of how he recovered from the amnesia. It wasn't slow or all at once. He remembered fragments sporadically but apparently, it only made him feel worse about it."

"I mean, I read his file. I could tell from whatever he went through, brainwashing or whatever, that he'd be prone to lapse."

"That's exactly what they're scared of."

"And why would partnering us help him with that?"

"Because of what you were employed for originally. You find out stuff about people and from there, you could help someone."

"That's not what my job was."

"No, your job was to write stuff down about people without them knowing and then use it to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s advantage," Tony added.

"Exactly."

"Well, basically, what I think they're saying is that your background could allow you to help him have a breakthrough and finally get over what went on all those years," said Bruce. I crossed my arms and looked dumbfounded. There was no proof that I could do that. I wasn't a psychologist. Even if I could, why would I? Bucky was crass with me and clearly had a personal vendetta. He considered himself my enemy. Why would I help someone like that?

"Other than that ridiculous assumption, why were we matched in the first place?"

"When Coulson called before you left, all he mentioned was that your files matched," said Tony. Files matching was a big deal to S.H.I.E.L.D. It was the reason I'd gotten to work with Steve in the first place. It was the reason partners were ever formally put together. But it wasn't the be all end all.

"Yeah, okay, but you said they wouldn't match me to an Avenger anyway. Why not?" Clint and Natasha were already partners, that was fine. Technically, Tony and Bruce could be partners because of how well they worked together not in the field. But what about Steve? He didn't have a partner of any kind.

"Something to do with public image right now, I'd assume," said Bruce.

"It's that bad reputation of yours," said Tony. "Do you know there are photos of you flipping off the paparazzi? They went viral right after you went to Asgard." Of course, they did. But I was pissed they were in my face while I was eating with Jane and Darcy. What did they expect to happen?

"Are you saying they want me off the public scene?" My blood was starting to boil. Why punish me and not the people eager to take pictures of us all the time?

"Yes but it's not because of what Tony said, although that is a problem," said Bruce. "Clint was telling us the other day that they're very interested in putting you in the field a lot of the time. Your face right now is too recognizable for them to logically give you very public missions."

"Well, I don't have a problem with missions behind the scenes. People aren't just gonna wake up tomorrow and forget that there was a_ battle_ for New York and that I fought in it."

"I doubt they will either which is why I think it's stupid to take you off the public scene," said Tony. "The press may hate you and some of America may hate you but you actually have quite a few fans. If you ask me, they can use you being recognizable to their advantage."

"The problem there is-" began Bruce.

"Bucky," I said. "God, this guy wants to ruin my life."

"Speaking of him, they're eager to have the two of you do a preliminary meeting," said Tony.

"What do they expect to come of this? One of us will kill the other!" And I was highly betting that the casualty would be me.

"I don't know but it'd probably be to your benefit if you called them and let them know you got better. Tomorrow is Friday after all," said Bruce. I arched one of my eyebrows but when I saw the sleazy look Tony was giving me, it all connected. Tomorrow at 3:30pm, Steve would be home from a mission and it was my responsibility to pick him up at the airport. Typically, S.H.I.E.L.D. would use the private landing strip and planes that they have outside of the city but since he was officially returning and not automatically getting something else to do, they decided to have him come back into New York via LaGuardia. It would give the press a field day, if nothing else.

"We're coming with you tomorrow, FYI," said Tony. "Fury thought it would be a good idea for people to see some semblance of the team together after everything that happened with me while you were gone." Tony didn't sound even remotely sad about everything. He'd lost his billion dollar mansion to the sea and on top of that, he'd lost Pepper for reasons he wasn't disclosing. Maybe he'd told Clint. I'd have to pry.

"Cool. So what time is it now?" I asked. I was actually kind of tired. Travelling via the cube hadn't been that much fun and when we'd left Asgard, it actually was about to be bedtime.

"It's 6 pm." Just then, there was a knock at our door and it was Happy bringing everything I'd told Tony I wanted. I almost hugged his neck.

The three of us sat around stuffing our faces for the next few minutes until Tony broke down into conversation again. "So where will he stay when he's here?" Tony asked after a bite of pizza. "He's sure as hell not renting out a room at Stark Tower."

"No one's asking you to be hospitable… though it would be kinda nice," I replied. He made a face. "I'm just kidding. But more than likely, I'd take a guess and say that Loki will have to stay at headquarters until he's nothing more than a minimum threat. When he first gets here, I expect he'll be resisting the change. But once he realizes it's not a joke and that he's not gonna be beamed up anytime soon, he'll be a bit more agreeable."

"S.H.I.E.L.D. better start fortifying their holding rooms. I'm not playing around with the trickster god bullshit this time around."

"And my guess is, you aren't the only one who feels that way." Clint would not accept Loki being back under any condition. Natasha would be okay with it outwardly but she'd give him a hard time (and Loki really needed a hard time so I was cool with that). Tony and Bruce had made their feelings plain, Tony more so than Bruce. Bruce was a fairly laidback guy for turning into the Hulk every once and a while. But he wouldn't have to do anything. Just being around Bruce would put the fear of God into Loki. He'd never been bested the way he was with the Hulk. Steve would be the wildcard. He'd either be totally okay with it for the sake of the alliance I'd agreed to with Asgard or he'd want to make sure that Loki was completely under supervision the entire time (which might not be a bad idea).

"How do you plan on telling everyone else?" asked Bruce. "We knew where you'd gone and why. Maybe you can tell Clint and Natasha but what about other agents? What about Steve?"

"I don't know," I responded. "I haven't thought that far in advance. Although, I'm clearly gonna have to explain everything to Fury and Phil. I just don't wanna do it right now."

"And from there, you have to tell Steve. You can't tell everyone else and keep it from Steve."

"You'd be surprised." Tony chuckled at me and I slanted my eyes at him.

"Someone will slip up somewhere down the line," he said. "He'll find out what's going on, don't you worry." I knew it was inevitable that Steve would eventually know that I'd been to Asgard. That wasn't my biggest worry about the whole thing, strangely enough. Asgard was one thing, because I had gone there at Thor's insistence, but campaigning for Loki to catch a break? Having a clear change of heart about him? I don't know.

"Well, they're not gonna slip up tomorrow. Nobody is gonna know anything about this tomorrow. First things first, we have to reintroduce Steve and Bucky."

The next morning came faster than I anticipated and I was up before 6. I'd been lax on training in Asgard aside from the few times I'd sparred with Sif and all that had done was result in tons of bruises. Hand-to-hand was not my strong suit and I think she had clearly known that. She'd gone easy on me for the most part and yet, I'd still lost. I wasn't up to par of a normal agent, that much was certain.

I avoided the cameras, Fury, and Coulson, and wound up in the gym. I reset an obstacle type course that shot up silhouettes of people randomly and I was supposed to throw my knives in a kill-shot. Skillfully, I managed to nail every single one in the chest. Only three managed to not find the bullseye. After that, I gruelingly went through some other training; jogging, gun training, and after a while, I reverted back to using the knives.

I got back to Stark Tower in the same lucky way that I'd gotten into HQ. After showering and attempting to do my hair, I got ready. I didn't look too fancy but I also didn't look like a street bum, which typically, there was no in-between for me. That's the problem that came from having too many office clothes and getting sick of wearing heels.

I took to evaluating myself in the mirror. My royal purple maxi dress covered my feet and was cinched at my waist, which gave me some added height. Again, not too fancy, not too street bum. My hair was curly but not styled so I didn't look like I'd tried too hard. My main worry with the whole event was that I would look like I was trying too hard. No jewelry was a good call, I think. All in all, I think I looked appropriate for something like picking up a friend at the airport. I wouldn't be ashamed if the press took pictures of me in this.

"Are you ready for this, Charlotte?" asked Bruce, poking his head in my room.

"Yeah," I replied. "Yes, I think I am." My hands were already shaking but I followed him into the hall anyway.

"Are you feeling nervous? You look nervous," said Tony upon greeting us. I rolled my eyes.

"No, I am not nervous."

"Your hands would say otherwise." I quickly clasped them together and Tony just laughed.

"Do not humiliate me today, I am begging you." The first time in three months that I'd see Steve and Tony was going to be there, breathing down my neck, daring me to do something stupid.

The car ride to LaGuardia was one of the longest in my life and several times I contemplated whether I actually wanted to be there. I figured everything would read clear on my face. Why yes, I'm still involved in some capacity with Loki, even though I'm not totally sure what that capacity is and I doubt he does either. Oh, while we're on the subject, if I touch your skin, I'll see a memory of yours which is completely invasive and almost totally useless, all because I accidentally electrocuted myself. And while we're at it, you might as well know that your best friend that you've thought dead for years is actually still alive and is, kind of, a huge dick.

Yeah, there was no doubt I'd spill.

The press assaulted us on our way in but luckily, Tony had pulled some strings so that they couldn't approach us while waiting for the plane to unload the passengers. I wasn't too sure what kind of plane Steve would've been travelling in. Smaller planes were more regular for LaGuardia and Steve was, no doubt, flying more privately than everyone else here.

I sucked my breath in when Tony told Bruce and I that the plane had landed and we could go outside to greet. A breeze blew by us on that summer afternoon and it was the last thing I remember before seeing Steve on the ground beside that small plane. All my fears subsided and when he looked over at us, he smiled. I took off and in a matter of seconds, I'd engulfed Steve in a hug. I buried my head in his neck while my hands wrapped over his shoulders and I clasped at the back of his neck. Then reality faded away for me.

I was kissing a woman and it was, maybe, the second time this had ever happened. It was also everything I could have potentially wanted before doing what I needed to do. When I pulled back, my eyes locked with the woman's and I knew in real time that I was seeing Peggy Carter.

My hand fell away from the skin of his neck and I felt cold all over, like the air was sucking the life out of me. The memory had been short because I'd known to cut it off but it had been very, very real. As the days went on, feeling the memories had only gotten stronger, not weaker, like I'd been led to believe would gradually happen.

"Whoa, are you okay?" I heard Steve ask. I broke into a smile and nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I'll explain everything later." He seemed to take me at my word and only smiled down at me. I felt my heart seize up and start pounding.

"Thank God, you're back!" exclaimed Tony. "Charlotte hasn't worn real pants in months." I started laughing because really, I had. That is, if you considered jeans real pants and I did.

Steve laughed along with me and Bruce and it was actually a glorious sound. It was hearty and loud and it made me happier than I'd been in a long time. "How was the trip?" asked Bruce.

"Classified," I said. Steve smiled at me bashfully then and I felt my heart pound again irregularly.

"Yeah, I was certainly under a lot of pressure to not say anything," he said. "In fact, I don't even know whether I can talk about anything now that it's done."

"It's not like we cared anyway," said Tony, back to being the asshole.

"It's good to see you too, Stark."

"I can't let you down by not being the smart-aleck you know me to be."

"There wasn't anything smart about that comment," I retorted. Tony rolled his eyes.

"Nobody asked you, queen of sarcasm."

"As you can tell, no one has changed at all," said Bruce.

"Well, I'm glad to hear it," said Steve. "I was worried I'd come back and the team had fallen apart."

"Well, not fallen apart so much as some stuff has gone down that you ought to know about," I said. "But it's neither here nor there and everyone is still in one piece so…" Steve seemed to ponder that for a moment but after a few seconds of looking each of us over (which you had to be looking for to notice was going on at all), he accepted what we said. "Were you hurt wherever you were?" I asked slowly. Steve shook his head.

"No. I was covered for the majority of the time. S.H.I.E.L.D. sent over some agents for me to work with and we took turns helping each other out."

"Anyone I know?" That was a silly question because the chances were pretty high that I did know whoever had been travelling with him. Unless it was someone who had been recruited in the last few months, I knew exactly who everyone at S.H.I.E.L.D. was and everything about their background.

"I think they were agents from the lower end of the scale. Certainly not a Natasha or a Clint with anything specialized but they were highly capable."

"They're not your new favorites or anything, are they?" He cracked a smile at me and it hit me just how long it had been since I'd seen him. I'd walked into a preliminary meeting with Fury and Coulson and he'd walked to go get ready for a mission. That had been over three and a half months ago, the same day we'd sent off Thor and Loki.

"Of course not," he responded. "By the way, has anyone heard anything from Thor?"

Tony and Bruce side-glanced at each other before staring over at me. They weren't going to say anything, which I appreciated but that left it to me to break the weird news. "Well, in a way, yes," I said. Steve perked up at that; he'd gotten to be extremely close with Thor the last time he was here. "But there's something a little more pressing than what's happened with Thor. I think you'll need to sit down to hear it."

Tony, Bruce, and I led Steve out of the airport and drove back to headquarters while I slowly explained everything about Bucky, leaving out, of course, that Bruce and I had known far longer than anyone else that Bucky was still alive. Steve didn't say anything during my entire monologue and I worried that he might not be handling it well.

"I just don't understand," he said. "Why didn't they say anything to me? Why didn't he come forward sooner?" I kind of shrugged sympathetically. I didn't have clear answers to either of those questions but I certainly had my opinion on them.

"Bucky is not in a good state mentally," said Bruce. "Recovering from the brainwashing was particularly hard on him. There could be a multitude of reasons for why he didn't come out sooner. My main guess is that he probably thought he couldn't get past what he'd done and believed that no one else would be able to either." I snorted. Yeah, right. Sure, the guy felt terrible about being a paid mercenary but he hadn't come forward because he'd been wary of S.H.I.E.L.D. and clearly, he'd been right there. But I thought it was pretty obvious that Bucky wasn't worried about anyone else's opinion.

Steve gave me a skeptical look before responding to Bruce. "That doesn't even begin to explain why Director Fury wouldn't have told me sooner."

"Did you ever honestly think you could trust him?" asked Tony. "You're even more naïve than I thought."

"Hey, trusting Fury doesn't have anything to do with this," I said. "The fact of the matter is Bucky is still alive and is trying to deal with the fact that he was a mercenary for the Soviet Union. I mean, S.H.I.E.L.D. keeping it a secret should be the least of everyone's concerns. When we get back to headquarters, he's gonna be there. My guess is that he's relatively nervous about meeting Steve again so getting along with each other should be our primary concern." Steve nodded beside me in the back of Tony's car. He was stressed and I didn't blame him.

Nobody said much of anything else, even we walked inside S.H.I.E.L.D.'s HQ, which was now more hidden than it had ever been before. Tony and Bruce led the way and I gripped Steve's hand before walking in with him. An image of Bucky flashed through my head before I forced it away.

"Have you met him yet?" asked Steve slowly. His hand was warm against mine and I mustered up a smile before responding.

"Yeah, I'm actually the one who brought him in." He seemed to sigh in relief.

"And he seemed… normal?" I sort of nodded.

"For someone who's been brainwashed and kept in stasis for years at a time, I'd say so." Steve laughed a little at that and got a little more comfortable.

"This is just not at all what I expected to come home to."

"I understand," I said.

"Have the two of you become close?" I froze and my grip on his hand hardened but Steve didn't seem to notice. "I would think that you have a lot in common."

"Other than being your best friend at different stages of your life, we don't have much in common at all."

"I'm sure that's not true." I shook my head and looked away from him. "What is it?"

"He doesn't like me… at all and I think he might poison you against me." His blue eyes clouded over and he let go of my hand. Shit, I shouldn't have said anything. I should've known this would piss him off. If there was a choice between me and Bucky, he'd pick Bucky and at this point in my life, I sure as hell wouldn't blame him.

"That's impossible," he replied. I half-laughed when Steve put his hands on my upper arms. "Why doesn't Bucky like you? I can't think of a reason why he wouldn't."

"It's obvious, isn't it? He hasn't fallen for my charm like you and the other Avengers have. He thinks I should be in jail." Steve's smile finally dropped from his face. I didn't know whether he'd thought I was making a big deal out of nothing or whether he just plain didn't believe there was a reason to dislike me. Now, when incontrovertible proof had been placed in front of him, Steve understood why Bucky hated me. I didn't need to spell it out for him, I didn't need to relive what had happened in New Mexico and even after. Steve knew what was going on and he knew Bucky's motives.

"Look, he's not- He doesn't understand what happened. He wasn't there." I shook my head and backed away from him.

"He knows everything he needs to know about me, Steve. He's read my file and more than that. He knows what I did and what I didn't do. And he's not gonna let me forget it."

"He won't turn me against you, Charlotte. I promise you that he won't. He may not even talk to me about you."

"But he will. Bruce told me that Bucky is yapping about me any chance he gets to anyone who will give him the time of day. I can only imagine what he wants to say to you." Steve moved toward me again and this time, he put his hands to my face like Thor had done so many times but he went a step farther than Thor had ever gone. He kissed me. Despite it being summer, despite all I felt regarding Bucky and Loki and everything that was going on, I felt chills go down my spine and my mind clear, empty of doubts and memories. When he pulled back from me, I felt everything about the day flooding back.

"I hope that was okay to do," he said. I shrugged and threw up my hands.

"Yeah, yeah, of course. Do it whenever you want." He laughed and I laughed and I knew that this is what I'd been waiting for for months. I wanted to be with him.

"So, uh, after this, after talking to Bucky and everything, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to help me get my mind off of all this?" I grinned and nodded nervously.

"Sure, absolutely. Want me to treat you to a milkshake? You've been away from New York for too long." He smiled at me kind of sheepishly and glanced at the ground before looking back at me.

"How bout I treat you?" I laughed at him.

"Do you mean like a date?" He smiled again.

"Yeah, like a date." I felt the corners of my mouth turn up and I nodded.

"I'd- I'd love to."

"Well, we've done everything backwards. Hopefully this we'll do right." I nodded. We certainly had done everything backwards. It's like we'd lived together, then kissed, now finally going on a first date. "I mean, as long as there's nothing in your way."

"No, of course not. There's nothing. I've, uh, done my thinking over the past few months." Lies. I was totally lying. I'd promised Steve and Thor to take this time to myself and really contemplate what was going on, what were my options, and I hadn't. But I wanted this and maybe that was selfish, maybe it was bald-faced lying, but I didn't care. Finally there were no obstacles and I could do this without guilt. "This is exactly what I want."

"Me too." I turned to finally enter the building and as Steve opened the door for me, I saw his silhouette inside; Bucky had seen everything and he wasn't happy about it.

**Wow, I'm sorry for the incredibly long wait! The triangle is in overdrive right now, huh? I really appreciate the support I've been getting so please review and tell me how you're liking it!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry for the wait! I've had a lot of schoolwork lately and I've been really into another one of my fics. I hope you enjoy this chapter! The next couple chapters are when I hope the action really starts. As usual, I own nothing but Charlotte. Please review!**

After walking into S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, I sensed Fury before I heard him. "Kent!" I winced before Steve was ushered away from me and Fury and Coulson stepped out from where they'd been hiding. Bruce and Tony only exchanged a glance before going into another part of the facility, leaving me to face the wrath of Director Fury. I started fake coughing hurriedly so that they might still believe the flu story, at least until we were in a private office. "Good to see you've made a full recovery, Agent Kent," said Fury when he arrived in front of me. "Although the next time you decide to kiss someone, make sure that the both of you are indoors." I turned to look out of the doors I'd just walked in. God, he was right. I had been stupid. Any sort of private conversation that involved S.H.I.E.L.D. shouldn't have been said right then and neither should Steve and I have kissed. The press were probably putting the pictures online now. This is what they'd been clamoring for since our first press conference; they wanted specifics on dating. Who cares if the Avengers saved the world from alien domination? The world just wanted to know who they were screwing and if they happened to show interest in the girl who wasn't a member of the team but had helped them, well, that just made it even better. It gave me more of a Cinderella story than I already had but it did exactly what S.H.I.E.L.D. was trying to avoid, according to Bruce and Tony; giving me more press.

"I will do my best to make sure it never happens again, sir," I responded. Fury only shrugged. He'd taken to enjoying giving me a hard time but at the end of the day, I think he'd grown to like me.

"It's only got to improve your image," said Coulson.

"Or ruin Captain Rogers'," said Fury. I blanched. I hadn't yet thought of it that way. If the press linked us, we'd be forever compared and contrasted. What one of us did would have an effect on how the other was perceived. I'd be damned before I let anyone drag down Steve's reputation, especially myself.

"I promise that I won't do anything that would potentially hurt him," I said. Fury's mouth twisted up in a smile.

"I almost believed you there, Kent. You need to work on your lying face." I scoffed.

"You've gotta be kidding me. Why on earth would I ever do anything to damage Steve with the media?"

"That's not how you worded it. But Kent, I believe you've got a fair amount of explaining to do."

"Yeah, the flu was horrible. I've never had it before in my life. But can we please go to your office?" I slanted my eyes to the right and I saw Bucky stepping into the opening corridor of the building where the three of us were standing. I immediately started coughing in an attempt to get him to leave. He's the one who shouldn't know about Asgard.

"Agent Barnes," Coulson directed at Bucky. I continued to hack away. "Are you ready to meet Captain Rogers?" I glanced back over at him in time to see Bucky nervously nod. Even from this distance, I noticed that his hands were sweating. His right one began to shake back and forth like a dog wagging it's tail. For the first time, I thought S.H.I.E.L.D. might've had a point in pairing us off.

"As I'll ever be," said Bucky. I heard them walk away and I finally felt comfortable enough to turn back to Fury.

"You're getting good, Charlotte," said Fury. "Now would you mind explaining to me why Jane Foster arrived here an hour ago in a complete frenzy?"

"Can we go to your office?" I responded.

As soon as he'd closed the door behind us, I'd regaled Fury with everything about Asgard down to Jane's life being threatened. I left out a few trivial things but I stressed the agreement Thor and I had come to for our realms and the fact that Loki could be back on the planet in under a month. Fury hadn't openly reacted the entire time. At the end of my spiel, he only pressed a button on his phone to call Coulson to the office.

Coulson came in and distracted us from the real problem at hand. "I'm glad you called me in, Director. Dr. Chandler from the Psych Department was asking about how Stark is dealing with everything that's been going on, particularly Pepper," he said. I openly rolled my eyes but Coulson didn't seem to understand it.

"Dr. Chandler is a quack and he needs to be fired," I said.

"You are in no position to be making those kinds of claims, Agent Kent," said Fury, dare I say, furiously. Coulson ignored his comment in favor of talking to me.

"Dr. Chandler came highly recommended, Charlotte," Phil said. "Need I remind you, I hired him." I sighed. Coulson had been the one who'd gotten me my menial staff job in the first place and he wasn't like to let me forget it. It conjured up a memory of Coulson approaching me at a career fair my junior year of college. You wouldn't think that a secret government agency would go after a potential employee in quite that way but that's how it had happened. He'd extended a card with the extremely long name of Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. I'd pursued the job heavily before really knowing what was going on. When I'd Googled the name, nothing came up other than a few vague references. I thought they might be some kind of CIA division but who would want a chubby 22 year old with crooked teeth for a spy? Needless to say, it didn't quite turn out that way.

"All he seems to care about is who everyone is dating," I said. "He's no better than those vultures who follow me and all of the Avengers around."

"What he cares about are the relationships agents are forming with each other and with other people. No one should have to remind you, of all people, that the relationships you have can make or break you. Dr. Chandler can help prevent an agent from getting broken down about things."

"You mean, he can stop something like I did from happening again?"

"Okay, Kent, put a sock in it," said Fury. "Coulson, sit down. There's something you need to know. Our prime new agent here wasn't sick with the flu the past two weeks. She was in Asgard, participating in Loki's trial at Thor's insistence. Jane Foster went with her. Long story short, Odin has decided that Loki's punishment for the war crimes against our planet is to come here and make it up to us while in the process, bettering himself. It might sound like a feel-good Hallmark movie, except for the sheer fact that this is Loki we are talking about. He almost singlehandedly blew Manhattan into the Atlantic over the course of a few days. Charlotte and Thor also agreed to an alliance between Earth and Asgard. We are now obligated to take them in." Coulson's mouth dropped open. "I wish I was joking."

"I wish you were too," I said. There was no telling how this would go down. Coulson looked between the two of us in disbelief.

"What are we supposed to do?" he asked. "Can we refuse him?" I shook my head.

"Not really. There's no real way to refuse the Allfather anything. Hell, there's no real way to refuse Thor anything."

"_Thor _came up with this?" I nodded.

"I was against it for a long time but he kept insisting it was the only way. And there's something going on with that Thanos guy."

"Thanos is not a real person," said Fury. "There is no proof the Chitauri had a leader other than Loki himself."

"There was no proof that Loki had an army until the Chitauri rained down on New York."

"You are ignoring the obvious here, Kent. Loki was leaving and probably doomed for a fate worse than death when he told you those things. He had every reason to want to manipulate you to his side again, in the final moments before he left Earth. He made up the story about Thanos to get you to sympathize with him and it's obvious that it worked." I threw my hands up in disbelief.

"You are seriously going to ignore a threat just because Loki was the one who warned us?"

"He is the god of lying," said Coulson.

"This will cause the Avengers more strife than his real attack did, you do realize that, Charlotte?" asked Fury.

"Again, it wasn't my idea," I said. "None of us have a choice in this so I say we prepare and we deal with it in stride. It can't be _that_ bad."

"But it can," said Coulson. "You just created a public relationship with Captain America and a private one with Steve Rogers. Charlotte, you cannot keep playing a game with him, with either of them. It is dangerous for everyone involved and now the entirety of the world knows about your relationship with Rogers. Do not put yourself in the kind of position that would cause the world to find out about Loki."

"You're scoffing," said Fury, "and I get it but you need to get it through your thick skull. This is not some make-believe land where you've somehow scored the bad boy and the good guy both. You will pay highly for leading either of them on."

"I don't believe I need relationship advice from either of you," I said but my voice cracked and no doubt, they'd heard it. They were right. It was like they knew what had happened in Asgard without my telling them. "None of this is a game to me, I promise you. They're both people and they both deserve the best. This is not a game to me." But yet it did feel like I'd been playing Steve. He deserved to know everything but how the hell was I supposed to say that I might still favor Loki? There was no way to come out on top by saying that. Besides, I'd already lied.

"I just want you to be conscious of the things you do, Kent. I'm not here to be an advice columnist, I'm here to be your boss and I wouldn't say anything about it unless I felt you needed to hear what I had to say. Hate me all you want but I am looking out for you, like I've looked out for Clint and for Natasha. Rogers is a spectacular agent with no weaknesses except in his feelings for you." I felt color rise to my cheeks and I clenched my lips together. "Think about the things that could happen if you spurn him or even if you spurn Loki. They are two extremes that I would rather not deal with."

"Love is for children, Director. You don't have to worry about me."

"No matter how many times you keep saying that, it never rings true." I didn't really care at that point.

Luckily, Fury agreed to let me be the one to break the news to Steve before he sent out the company email tomorrow. I ran into Clint after leaving Fury's office and talked to him for a little while when I was waiting on Steve. Clint said he'd be over at Stark Tower that night so he wanted to hear it all. I had only rolled my eyes in response.

From there, I'd only sat in my new cubicle and reread Bucky's file. As my fingers scanned the keyboard, I felt myself growing more nervous. Fury had stressed that the two of us would not be reassigned. There was no reason to expect that I'd get any help from him and Coulson at all. They seemed to like Bucky and maybe they didn't even take his claims seriously. Nonetheless, I had to be prepared to work and train with him.

Bucky's file didn't have too much information in it. Everything in it I'd already studied. I'd figured that since he officially joined S.H.I.E.L.D., his file wouldn't have so many holes in it. Then again, since I hadn't been here to fill anything in, maybe they'd held off. Technically, as his partner, maybe I was supposed to figure him out. That seemed like too hard a task for me to even fully comprehend. Bucky wouldn't tell me anything and maybe he felt that way about everyone at S.H.I.E.L.D.

The phone on my new desk buzzed and I quickly pressed a button and answered it. "Agent Kent," I said. I was glad to be back inside a cubicle, with an office phone and a computer with files that were restricted from me. This was all familiar to me in a way that being a physical agent would never really be. I was more comfortable doing research and writing about it. S.H.I.E.L.D. had only recently gotten it in their minds that I could still keep up with my old job and my new job too.

"Agent Barnes and Captain Rogers have officially been reintroduced to each other," said Maria Hill. "Agent Barnes will be staying in the barracks here until such time as he is ready to move into an apartment in the city. That, of course, means that you will have to come in in order to train with him. The two of you will need to become familiar with each other's strengths and weaknesses, which you may think you already know but I can assure that you don't know everything. Dr. Chandler will conduct one of your weekly meetings with Agent Barnes there to evaluate the two of you together. From there, hopefully your issues will be resolved and the pair of you will finally be sent on missions."

"When should I try to get with him? I take it he's going through entrance stuff right now." New agents, especially an agent like Bucky that's come from some kind of hardship that might compromise him, have to go through certain examinations and other things to prove their trust and their abilities.

"He's ready when you are," she said drily. Maria Hill had never been fond of me and she couldn't make it clearer. I hung up my office phone without giving her a goodbye.

I pulled my purse out from under my desk and grabbed a compact. Steve was done, I was done, both of us were done with S.H.I.E.L.D. for the day. That meant we were given free reign to leave. Ah, shit, this was bound to be the most embarrassing night of my life. Besides, I didn't know any details. Whose car were we taking? Shit, Steve didn't even have a car. He had a motorcycle. Where were we going? I needed to make sure that I'd even want to eat there. Oh, my God, what had I gotten myself into? This was a ridiculously stupid idea and the only thing it would do is embarrass me.

I wasn't a fan of cheesy date nights or anything. Hell, had I ever even really been on a date? A date where we didn't split the ticket or wasn't at a fast food restaurant? Holy hell, I was totally unprepared for this kind of thing. The greatest thing about Loki is that he hadn't had any preconceived notions about what a relationship with a mortal was going to be like. Steve had to. His hey-day had been in the forties which was an entirely wonderful time where people went dancing at clubs that was actual dancing, not grind-your-ass-on-a-guy's-crotch dancing. Men always paid. The fucking American dream was still achievable!

I'm going to be sick.

"Are you ready?" I dropped the compact I was still holding when I heard Steve's voice. My hands started shaking and I did all I could to conceal them.

"Uh, yeah," I responded, standing up. When I turned to look at Steve, it was like the breath had been knocked out of me. He'd somehow changed and miraculously didn't look jetlagged anymore. Where the hell had he stashed those clothes? "Wow, you look nice. But uh, anyway, how did it go with Bucky?" His cheeks were red but I couldn't remember whether they'd been like that a moment before.

"It went… It was great," he said as the two of us began walking to leave. "I never in a million years would've expected something like this to happen, especially now. I mean, I'd somehow lost everyone I knew back then and now I get some kind of a second chance with my best friend? It's incredible." I smiled. I really was happy for him. There was no denying that it couldn't have happened to a better guy. When I first met Steve, I'd searched high and low for any surviving Howling Commandos. I'd even searched for Peggy. All those wells ran dry quickly and I had hated giving him disappointment after disappointment. He'd probably been wishing for a miracle like this since he'd woken up. I was a poor replacement for his old friends. I'd known that then and I knew it now.

"Was he happy to see you too?" I asked. Steve nodded and he had a look on his face like he was a kid on Christmas morning. It was a real smile, almost a grin. I hadn't seen him smile like that since before I'd met Loki. Hell, had I ever seen him smile that way? "I'm really happy for you."

"I still just can't believe it."

"I know," I said. "I can't either." Bucky was going to continue to throw a wrench into my professional life but he wasn't the biggest concern at the moment. I had to start thinking of breaking everything to Steve… and I was not looking forward to it.

I let Steve lead me somewhere downtown and when we arrived at something that looked like a high class version of a diner, I was pleased. We sat down and ordered before ever starting a real conversation and I was grateful for it. I couldn't figure out what would be the best thing to eat without getting sick.

"Anything interesting happen while I was gone?" Steve asked. Oh boy, did some interesting stuff happen.

"Yeah, you could say that," I muttered. "You might wanna brace yourself for some of the stuff I'm about to tell you." He cocked one of his eyebrows at me. I decided I'd start with the easiest thing first. "I accidentally electrocuted myself a couple of weeks ago and there was a pretty wacky side effect." I could tell he wasn't expecting anything significant. He was probably thinking I'd show him the lock of my hair that was completely straight. "When I touch people's skin, I can see a memory of theirs through their eyes." His blue eyes widened and he almost moved farther away from the table.

"You can't be serious?" I nodded. Steve should've been skeptical of this but he trusted me. Besides, now everyone and their brother had some kind of supernatural problem.

"Bruce has reassured me that it's temporary but so far, it hasn't diminished." Steve ran his hands through his hair, which I don't think I'd ever seen him do. "I haven't told anyone but you, Tony, and Bruce. A couple other people know too but I'll tell you about that later." I couldn't hit him with information on Asgard at the same time as this. That would have been unnaturally mean.

"You haven't told Fury or Coulson?" I shook my head.

"I'm asking you not to." He could tell I was getting desperate.

"Of course, yeah, but don't you think they could help you?" I shook my head again.

"I'd tell them and they'd make me go through tests like a guinea pig. Then they'd inform Bucky and I just don't need that on my plate right now." I didn't want to say a word against Bucky, not now when Steve was high on life from meeting back up with him, but he had to know the dangers of what could happen if Bucky knew something like this about me.

"I won't tell anyone, I promise," he said genuinely. If there was one person I could count on to keep a promise, it was Steve. "So when you acted strange on the airstrip, it was because you touched me." I nodded, running my fingers across my lips. "I'm sorry. I kept on after that." I shook my head.

"I can push it back sometimes. I'm training myself. But if I'm not expecting it, it just completely throws me."

"Do you want to be rid of it?" Of course, I wanted to be rid of it but I couldn't deny that it had helped me, especially where Loki was concerned.

"Yeah but I know it'll go away on it's own. For now, I've been trying to enjoy it. Not every memory I get is bad."

"What did you see when you touched me?" My breath caught in my throat. I should've known he'd ask because so far, everyone who knew had asked me what I'd seen. I thought about lying but there was no point. He was fully expecting what I was going to tell him. It was evident by the look on his face.

"Peggy," I responded. I looked down at the table before I had the chance to see his face.

"I don't know what to say." I shrugged.

"There's nothing to say. I can't control what I see or anything. It's a bit of an invasive power." He sensed I didn't want to talk about it anymore so he changed the subject.

"You said 'some' so what else happened? Didn't you say we'd heard from Thor?" I nodded and tried to muster up a smile.

"I'm really sorry for the part I played in this but yeah, we heard from Thor." Steve raised his eyebrows again and I continued. "I haven't been sick with the flu these past two weeks. I was in Asgard."

"What? How could a human go to Asgard?" I almost threw up my hands.

"I don't know. Thor was at Stark Tower when I got home after recruiting Bucky. He wanted me to help during Loki's trial because he thought his father would have him killed or banished or something. He used the opportunity to take Jane with us. I agreed and after I participated in the trial, Loki's sentence was taken down a few notches. Thor insisted that banishing Loki to Earth so that he could pay for his crimes against us was the only course to take. I disagreed for a long time but if Loki comes, Thor will too. I had no say in the final matter but Thor's father made the sentence. Something came up so it'll take them a while to come."

"Please tell me you told Fury about this one thing." I nodded. Steve had lapsed into leader-mode. He had to do some hardcore thinking. "And what did he say?" I didn't want to say that Steve sounded angry but he certainly sounded serious.

"We don't have a choice, Steve. Thor and I agreed to an alliance between Earth and Asgard. We can't get out of it."

"When?"

"I don't know. They have to deal with some other realm right now and it might take them months to get everything sorted."

"Did you talk to him while you were there?" I knew who he was talking about without the name.

"Only once or twice."

"And Thor is definitely coming back?" I nodded.

"That's probably the only good thing about this, I'll admit." I truly wasn't eager for Loki to be back on Earth in any capacity. Fury and Coulson had been right. This would drive a wedge between me and the Avengers. No one would know what to do. Loki would win his battle with us before he was even in the atmosphere. "This is something you really can't tell Bucky."

"Who all knows about this?"

"You, Fury, Coulson, Tony, Bruce, and Clint, I think. I'll tell Natasha the next time I see her." I saw Steve's hand move from the table to his leg and it was almost palpable how anxious he was. "I'm really sorry. I know this is the last thing anyone wanted but I didn't have a choice. Thor was going to do this whether I gave him the go ahead or not. I just thought you needed to know. I wish I hadn't said it now, like right now. That was a really stupid idea and I could punch myself for telling you. Oh, my God, I'm sorry. I just felt like it was a weight on my shoulders and I wouldn't be able to relax until you knew everything." He nodded at me without quite meeting my eyes.

"I understand you weren't in charge of what happened," he responded. I felt myself release a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. "But this will have a huge effect on the team. It might even have one on S.H.I.E.L.D." I nodded.

"I really wasn't trying to make things harder on you. I know that I'm a problem for a lot of people to have to work with and around but I swear, I'm not trying to be that way." He mustered up a smile and the tension I'd been feeling started to diminish.

"You're not a problem and I'm not mad about it. I just have to think of the best way to approach this." I nodded. One thing I really appreciated was that Steve certainly considered me a part of his team, whether I was qualified to be or not. That's why, even if he was mad, he wouldn't show it.

"Thanks for understanding," I said. I'd gotten it off my chest, which I thought would make things easier for me and ultimately make me feel better but I was wrong. Now I just felt guilty. Yeah, I had been in Asgard on business but it had ended up going in another direction with Loki and now I just felt like I was playing them both, whether it was intentional or not.

Luckily, minutes later, Steve changed the subject. He told me a little about the team he'd been working with the past few months and he asked me about my training, which I appreciated. I was nervous but I could push it back when I thought of the fact that Steve and I had been friends for over a year. I could pretend that it was normal for the two of us to just go out by ourselves even when I knew it wasn't. I hadn't spent so much time alone with him since we had been in New Mexico and before that, when I was working with him to help him adjust to the time period.

But as the night went on, I felt myself loosening up. One thing was for sure, Steve and I could make each other laugh. Maybe we were both so anxious that we were to the point of nervous laughter but I trusted that maybe we weren't. Hours had passed by and I hadn't even noticed.

When we got up to finally leave, I felt myself grow nervous again. He was going to walk me back to Stark Tower or at least back to headquarters. No doubt those swarming journalists had figured out where we were. Fury and Coulson's words seemed to repeat over and over in my head; that I could bring down Steve and his reputation. It was the last thing that I wanted to do but it might not matter what I do.

"Thank you for going out with me," I said, once we were outside. "I, uh, I had fun!" I was grateful it was dark and that my face couldn't be clearly seen. I could feel heat on my cheeks even though it was no longer 90 degrees outside.

"Yeah, of course," he responded. "Me too." We walked a little ways farther and took a turn into Central Park, which I thought was kind of out of the way, but I followed him. "Are you nervous?" Steve asked after a while.

"Oh God, is it that obvious? I've been sweating bullets all day." Strangely enough, Steve was the only person that had ever really made me nervous. Meeting Loki and Thor had not given me the anxiety that I felt just being around Steve on a regular day.

He sort of laughed in response and I liked hearing it. It had been rare and I had no doubt that Bucky being back was fueling much of his good mood. The stuff about Loki and Asgard couldn't have been easy to hear. "Well, you don't need to be, you know."

"Oh, I know, it's just that I can't help it. You make me nervous." I saw him smile and it made me feel ridiculously happy. "But hopefully, I'll get better about it as time goes on." I heard him laugh again.

"I hope so," he said. "How are we supposed to be friends if I make you nervous?" I laughed then.

"It's not the 'friends' part that makes me nervous. It's the other part." But that part had to make him nervous too. I could almost see it. There were always signs that gave away how anxious a person was. My hands shook and Steve blushed. Both were a little bit too noticeable.

"Do you w_ant _to be more than friends?" he asked after a moment of silence and I stopped walking. He'd said it quietly, almost quiet enough for me to have missed that he said anything at all.

"Yeah," I said back. "I do if you do." Steve had stopped now and I felt my hands start shaking. I buried them in the folds of my purple dress and when he turned to look back at me, I almost ripped a hole in the fabric. Could he see it on my face? Was he picking up that something had happened in Asgard? Oh, my God, this was just cruel on my part… to the both of them. I couldn't just give in to every single impulse I had. Normal people controlled themselves and their feelings, why couldn't I?

But things with Loki… No matter how much I might want something to happen between the two of us, I knew none of it could be permanent. Not even my friendship with Thor was permanent. The two of them had been alive for over a thousand years and were like to go on for another thousand and another thousand after that. I could be killed on a mission next week and even if I lived till 100, it still wouldn't matter. They would never age, they would never be decrepit, they would never truly get injured. But didn't those same things apply to Steve? I'd never fully learned how he survived all those years without a scratch, without aging. Who knows what would happen now that he didn't have those obstacles? No matter which side the coin landed on, I was completely out of my league with both of them.

"You know I do," said Steve, breaking my mind from running on it's treadmill. I nodded.

"Well, then, I'm happy." I sounded like a freaking idiot. I had sounded like an idiot on a date with a Harvard grad the entire night. I couldn't string words together to make coherent sentences at all and I felt like everywhere we went was 100 degrees. "Next time I won't burden you with all the stuff I did tonight." He smiled again and looked at the ground.

"It's fine. Maybe next time I'll take you on a better date." I started laughing.

"Oh, my gosh, are you kidding? This is the best date I've ever been on. Actually, I don't think I've ever really been on a 'date' date. So you're blowing me out of the water already. You're perfect." And when I saw his reaction to me, I knew he really was. Steve was efficient and a soldier and incredibly good in public but then he could switch and be bashful. I knew I wasn't that way and it made me admire him. He'd never flinched at the idea of being an icon or talking to the public. He was good at being a leader. "So, uh, keep up the good work," I said.

"Well, usually first dates are about getting to know a person, right?" I nodded when we began walking again. "At least we're past that point."

"Oh yeah, I'm sure that's the most awkward part… other than worrying about making a fool of yourself."

"Are you worried that you have? Or have I?" I laughed nervously.

"You know I'm the one more prone to making a fool of themselves. Hell, I stuttered in the middle of an interview with E! last month. E!"

"Everyone probably likes you more for it." I decided not to tell Steve that I was absolutely terrible with the press and I especially was going to leave out that they basically hated me.

"Well, I think we all know that you're the most likable." He shrugged.

"I doubt that."

"Well, given that it's impossible _not _to like you… I mean, even Tony is beginning to be fully behind you."

"Yeah, I'm sure," he responded sarcastically and I laughed.

"Alright, maybe he needs a little more persuasion but he's still butthurt that everyone wanted you to lead the team instead of him because, of course, experience has got nothing to do with it."

"Well, I recall the battle for New York being a total bloodbath. I don't think anyone was qualified to lead us into that." I had never exactly blamed myself for the battles against the Chitauri (because how self-centered would that be?) but I knew I had played a part. Some people at S.H.I.E.L.D. still regarded me warily because they thought I might still be in contact with Loki, even though the Avengers completely obliterated him in the final battle. I knew Steve didn't think that way because for some odd reason, he'd never really gotten angry about Loki and I having a relationship. Sure, he'd been angry that I'd harbored him… but he'd never been angry that I loved him. Steve was far too good for me. He was far too good for everyone.

"I don't think I'm qualified _now _for some of the things we had to do. I mean, aliens, who knew?" He nodded. "But seriously, I think the worst part of all of it was my dancing skills."

"No, it wasn't!"

"Oh, please, you're just being nice. That was the worst night of my life, seriously." But I had to admit that the highlight of the night had been the dancing. "I almost tripped over myself multiple times."

"Even if you did, at least you didn't fall." I laughed. That was true; at least I didn't fall.

"Did you like it? Dancing, I mean. Poor Thor evidently went to a lot of trouble to make sure the two of us at least knew some steps." Steve smiled again and I just felt at ease.

"Well, the only time I danced, other than mimicking Thor, was when I danced with you and yes, I enjoyed it. I'd love to do it again sometime." A smile crept onto my face when he looked over at me.

"Are you saying you wanna dance with me? You actually wanna put yourself through that again?"

"It wasn't exactly torture." This wasn't real. This was like some wacky movie version of everything a date should be (other than me finally cracking and telling him everything about Asgard). But Steve was serious. He was really asking me to dance, in Central Park, at night, when he was walking me home. This was like a dream. And instead of saying something else incredibly awkward, I took his hand when he offered it.

But I didn't think. I didn't think about what touching his skin would do. It was stupid and I should've been bracing myself the entire night but I found myself glad that I hadn't been prepared.

I was sitting at a table in the old S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, in our makeshift cafeteria and across the table from me was myself. I was taken aback at first because I'd never actually seen myself in another person's memory but it passed. I looked different than I did now. I still had my long hair and evidently, I'd taken the time to do it that day because it fell in finger curled waves to the middle of my chest. I was wearing a blue button up blouse (that I probably should've buttoned up a little further) and black pumps were peeking out from under the table. I looked good. And I wasn't the only one that thought so.

Judging by just what I had on, this was a year ago, at least. It was fairly early in the getting-to-know-Steve process and I could guarantee I was still walking on eggshells around him.

I perked up when I heard myself talk. "Dear God, when will they ever turn on the air conditioner in this place?" I watched myself lean back in my chair and start fanning myself with a file. "It's probably 85 degrees in here. Can you believe it?" I felt Steve smile. "Sorry, what were you saying? You were in the plane with Howard and Peggy, right?" I saw myself put down the file and break out a blue pen. I was taking notes. This was really early in our friendship.

"He asked Peggy to stop for fondue on their way back." Wow, being in this memory was strange. It was like I was having a conversation with myself. But I wasn't. For once, I was Steve in the equation and I got to see how his mind worked.

"Cool, tell me all the details you can remember. Fury and Phil will eat this stuff up." It struck me how much of an accent I had. As Steve, it sounded like I spoke too slow but in a way, it was nice. Comforting. Or at least, he thought so.

"I didn't know what fondue was so I had no idea what he was implying so before I jumped out, I asked her whether she and Howard 'fondued.'" Steve's voice was deep and in the memory, he was embarrassed to be telling me this because he didn't want me to write it down. But he was comfortable enough to be telling me this in the first place. I was his only friend.

Across the table, I dropped the pen I'd been writing with and started laughing. I mean, really laughing. But my laugh almost didn't sound the same, it sounded a little prettier, a little sweeter. "What did you think it was? Sex? Oh, my God, that is great!" As Steve, I felt more than a little embarrassed. People in this time period would have had no problem figuring out what was what and they would never have asked Peggy something like that. But when I continued laughing, I felt Steve smile. "That's really cute, I'm sorry. That is just too good!" Something clicked in Steve then. I felt it. It was warm and it was hopeful, that maybe he really had made a new good friend in this time period. Maybe I wasn't going to just be someone hired to work with him. Maybe I could grow to be close with him. Maybe I liked him for him and not just because he was Captain America (which was how everyone was when he was first recruited).

The memory ended faster than it began and I knew I had a grin on my face. Steve was such a genuine person. It was so great. "What did you see?" he asked slowly. He was asking out of curiosity, not out of malice, which I greatly appreciated. It was nice.

"One of those ridiculous interviews I had to conduct with you every single day," I responded. "But it was funny. It was when you told me that fondue story."

"And you laughed for twenty minutes straight?" Steve was laughing and I kind of was too.

"Yes, oh, my God, it's as funny now as it was then." He made a face.

"It's never been funny." I started laughing.

"Oh yes, it is and I'm gonna tell Tony and Clint all about it unless this dance you've promised is the best one I've ever had." It wouldn't take much for it to be the best I'd ever had. But I realized that I was going to embrace this cheesy, almost perfect date (key word being 'almost' since I had ensured it wasn't going to be perfect).

Steve pulled me into the hold that Thor had taught us both but neither of us was as stiff as we'd been the night before that final fight. This was fun where that had been tense and weird and I'd been feeling guilty.

"If I step all over you, I am so sorry," I said. Steve laughed. I looked at my feet and tried to remember steps. I knew dancing wasn't supposed to be so analyzed or so thought out but I couldn't help doing it. "You're still the better dancer! Even after months of neither of us practicing, you're still the better dancer!" He laughed again.

"Well, you've improved," he responded. I scoffed.

"So you admit I was terrible?"

"You were not terrible… just bad." I started laughing again and I realized that this was the most fun I'd had in ages. The last time I had really let myself have a good time had been before most of this had happened, back when Clint, Steve, Tony, and I would go to the bar out in New Mexico and laugh at how funny I was when I was drunk. I actually felt drunk now. I was laughing at everything and I felt good, really good. "So is this dance the best you've ever had?" I pretended to think.

"Well… something could be done to improve it." A smile turned up on my face and he dropped my hand, freeing me up to touch his face. Nothing happened from the touch… at all. I wasn't even trying to push anything back. Nothing happened. Hell, maybe that was a good sign.

I raised myself up on my tiptoes and pressed my lips against his. No matter how many times this might happen, I would never get used to it. It gave me goosebumps and made me feel nauseous and made my thoughts whirl. I'd never felt all those things at once. It was like a brand new experience, like I'd never been with anyone before, and I loved it. I loved it all.

* * *

I hit the practice room floor with a thud and a groan. My left shoulder shuddered under my weight. I swear to God, if that bastard had knocked my shoulder out of its socket again.

This was my fifth fight against Bucky and most likely, my fifth loss. I hated hand-to-hand combat but Bucky loved it, using that bionic arm like it was actually human. Shouldn't I be allowed to get some kind of a leg up on him?

"Come on, Charlotte!" I heard Clint yelling. I groaned again. This fucking sucked.

I felt Bucky's hand slam down on my ankle and I screamed in pain when he twisted it. I got lucky when I yanked it away. It didn't matter. Bucky had descended on me again and pulled me to my feet by grabbing at the top of my S.H.I.E.L.D. suit. He was smiling. This asshole was actually smiling at me. Futilely, I grabbed at his dark hair, yanking his head backwards. He only punched me in the stomach in turn. I yelled out again and backed away from him, clutching my middle.

There were no real rules in these training fights, other than being careful to avoid serious injuries like broken bones. Bucky had taken it seriously when he'd heard there were no guidelines. He hit me everywhere he was certain wouldn't rupture one of my organs in the first fight and in the second, he'd landed a blow to the side of my face that still hadn't finished healing.

I bent over in pain and gasped out. When Bucky neared me again, I readied myself for the newest blow. I don't even know what he did and suddenly, I was on the floor again, my feet pulled out from under me. I groaned and moved my hands out from underneath me. Why wasn't he finishing me off? He'd had plenty of opportunities.

He dragged me by the ankle to the middle of the training room and I couldn't even be bothered to look like I cared anymore. I felt like I might slip into unconsciousness. But the kill shot was coming. That's why he'd pulled me to the middle of the room; to finish me in front of the Avengers and Coulson.

In a desperate last attempt, I grabbed one of my knives from my belt and slid it between my knuckles for a better grip. I tasted blood in my mouth and all I felt was anger. I waited until I felt Bucky behind me, ready to pretend to sever my head or something equally gruesome, then I flipped onto my back. I upper cut the knife to settle beneath his head. When Bucky began frowning, I smirked.

I had dealt the death blow. I'd won.

"Hell yeah!" Clint yelled.

"You tricked me," said Bucky, offering me his hand. I was wary of it because I didn't know whether _he_ was trying to trick _me_.

"I won," I responded. I took his hand and he helped me to my feet. I gave him a nod and he nodded back. Bucky wasn't blatantly open about hating me, especially not when Steve was around, but anyone watching these fights knew he had it out for me.

I heard the door to the training room open and I lifted my arms in triumph. I felt like Judd Nelson in the Breakfast Club. Clint was clapping. He'd been rooting for me to win something against Bucky this entire time. It wasn't that the others didn't; it was that they knew I probably couldn't.

I walked over and Tony high-fived me after handing me a water bottle. Steve moved past us to talk to Bucky and it sent a chill down my spine. Even though Steve and I had been dating for a couple months now, I still felt second best compared to Bucky. Oh yeah, it was great that the guy had gotten a second chance at life after spending decades in the employ of the Russians but did he have to steal my best friend/boyfriend?

I left the room with Clint and Tony and didn't even bother saying anything in the way of a goodbye to Steve and Bucky. I was over it. I shouldn't be jealous because at this point, it was clear that even if Bucky complained about me every day to Steve, it made no difference to him. He'd stuck with me this long and through much worse. He hadn't turned on me when I'd been in a relationship with Loki.

Shit.

Goosebumps prickled up my arms and a chill came over me. I should not be thinking of Loki. I'd made my choice. Besides, there hadn't been any sign of him and Thor since I last heard from Jane who had been regaling me with what had happened with the dark spirit. If she hadn't been there to keep reminding me of it, I would've thought my trip to Asgard had been a dream. Nonetheless, I'd told myself that I couldn't waste time wondering about Loki and Thor. At this rate, they would probably never come.

"So you finally won against him, the Winter Soldier!" said Tony. He'd put his arm around my shoulders and I felt my breathing heave. I was exhausted, too exhausted to think about anything except my bed.

"It's been a long time coming," said Clint. "I knew you could do it."

"Yeah, you were the only one," I responded. My hand babied my midsection and I limped a little.

"Was he mad that you tricked him?"

"He was probably pleased that he has more fuel for the fire against me. Anything shady I do gives him some kind of credence." When I'd somehow managed to beat Bucky in archery training two weeks ago, he claimed I'd had Clint teach me. He didn't trust anything I did. He especially didn't trust me with Steve.

"Whatever," said Tony. "The guy's a butthurt asshole that's jealous his best friend replaced him. I don't know what he expected when he fell off that train seventy years ago." I laughed and groaned at the same time.

"At any rate, you should be proud," said Clint. "It may have taken more time than any of your other fights but you won." I shrugged.

"I've won one fight out of five. One out of five. That's pathetic," I said. But it really wasn't. Bucky was well-trained and had been fighting for most of his life, especially hand-to-hand. It was a miracle that I could stand the fights as long as I could.

"Well, you're better than him at archery and sharpshooting." I scoffed.

"I'm better at sharpshooting by .2 points. Point two!" Bucky was brilliant with rifles. Hell, he was brilliant at anything that required him to hit a target. That was the only margin of training together where he didn't completely beat me into the ground.

"Archery?" said Tony.

"Again, I beat him by three points." Bucky had never trained with a bow and arrow before but he was still good at it. I didn't understand. "I just don't get it. Why pair me up with someone who is that good? Besides the fact that he hates me, if we were to go into the field together, he would leave me in the dust. The only skillset we have the same is with guns. In everything else, he totally blows me out of the water. He's an insanely good agent."

"You have skills he doesn't have," said Clint.

"Name one."

"You tricked him, Charlotte," said Tony. "If there's one thing I've yet to see from him, it's trickery." I rolled my eyes.

"Anyone with half a brain could trick someone. I was desperate. It was the only opportunity I had."

"I don't believe the Winter Soldier is accustomed to being tricked," said Clint, almost laughing. He was right. Bucky had been almost shocked that I'd done it.

"He's not as charming as you either," said Tony.

"Yeah, right. He works so hard to be charming to everyone," I said. "He's had six dates in the past two weeks."

"There's a difference between being good with women and being charming." I guess that might true.

I left them to hit one of our locker rooms for a shower. I examined myself in a mirror before getting into the shower. I didn't look bad but I didn't look good either. The bruise was still on my face from where Bucky had hit me a few weeks ago. It was yellow and purple and was disgusting. I had to slather makeup over it before I could go out in public. Then as I looked down, I saw my midsection was riddled with bruises and welts. I groaned when I saw a red mark on my chest. My legs looked okay other than a few bruises and the ankle Bucky had twisted earlier.

After my slow shower, I put on a tanktop and some shorts before wrapping my ankle with some gauze. Tylenol PM was calling my name. It was only 7pm but damn it, I was going to go to bed.

I left the locker room with my bag of stuff and dropped it at my desk before moving to leave. When I looked up from shutting down my office computer, I saw Steve standing on the other side of my cubicle and I tried to smile. "Hey," I said. "I was getting ready to call it a night."

"You look like you're in bad shape," he responded.

"That's the nice way of saying it."

"Thought you might need some of this." Steve handed me a bottle of aspirin over the wall of my cube and when I took it, he handed me a Dr. Pepper. I started smiling.

"A man after my own heart," I said. "You sure know how to treat a woman right."

"You want me to take you home?"

"As long as you promise to drive a real car and not a motorcycle."

"I promise," he responded.

Steve wrapped his arm around me and we started walking out of headquarters. I really, really adored Steve and I's relationship. There was something really nice about it, like it was the only normal thing amidst all of this weird stuff. He was sweet and I adored him more than ever. Two months had gone by quickly but it had surely been fun. Aside from Bucky, there had been no roadblocks. The press absolutely adored us. My image had improved tenfold by being with Steve. People were eating up our relationship like we were characters in a TV show. Not to mention, our relationship itself was fantastic. It had everything. Other than Bucky (which was a topic I tried to avoid), I honestly thought it was perfect.

The only blot on my life at the moment was James Buchanan Barnes. But I could ignore him. Hell, I could pretend that he wasn't even there. That's how I got by most of the time.

"How'd you feel about winning your first fight?" asked Steve after I had crawled inside one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s SUVs. He hadn't been too enthused when he'd first heard about Bucky and I having to train with and against each other before we could be in the field together.

"I think I'd feel better if I had beaten him in the first five minutes," I responded. For all I knew, the entire fight had been only five minutes.

I threw back three aspirin and downed half of my Dr. Pepper. "He's a tough opponent."

"You can say that again."

"Bucky told me he was impressed."

"Was he?" I muttered. His opinion mattered very little to me, especially when I was sure he was lying.

Steve quickly changed the subject when he glanced over at me. Most of the time, the two of us never mentioned him. That was the way I liked it. There were two things on our list of things to avoid in conversation; Bucky and Loki. "Tony said Jane and Darcy were over at Stark Tower. They want to congratulate you."

"Yeah, well, they'll have to wait until tomorrow because the only thing I see in my future is my cold bed." Steve laughed a little. It made him uncomfortable when I talked about going to bed and I think it was because he knew I'd had sex before… and because Tony would not let up with sex jokes. It was too awkward to think about sleeping with anyone though, let alone Steve. That thought rarely crossed my mind just because I knew it would make him uncomfortable. He wasn't from this time period and I understood that. It didn't mean that Tony did, though. I couldn't count how many times he'd asked whether I wanted to get it on with me. It unnerved me and made me feel awkward. "Is the bruise on the side of my face too noticeable?" I asked to get my mind off that weird topic.

Steve took his eyes off the road for a split second to look at me. I saw him shake his head.

"Yeah, right. You're just being nice. Does it make me look hardcore? Or like I got beat up in an alley?"

"I don't think anyone would believe you were beaten up in an alley."

"They wouldn't believe it about you either," I responded.

"That's different," he said. "But I will say you look like you shouldn't be messed with." I shook my head.

"No, I should not."

Steve drove into the parking deck beneath Stark Tower and I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn't want to ride the elevator all the way up there by myself. "I'll walk you up," said Steve when I was unbuckling my seatbelt.

"Thanks," I said. "That's real sweet of you." He moved his shoulders in a fake shrug, like he knew what a wonderful guy he was, and I laughed. "Tony has been rubbing off on you."

"Actually, I think it was Clint."

"I can see that," I said, sliding down out of the car. Steve was actually really funny sometimes, especially when he wasn't trying to be. Clint and Tony had been loving it. Without any big bad to deal with, we'd all been relaxing and letting loose, which hadn't happened in a long time.

I held Steve's hand in the elevator on the way to Tony, Bruce, and I's apartment. At first, it was because I wanted to do it, to have something to hold onto, and to be close to him. It was like I could never get close enough to Steve. But when I linked our fingers, I tried to see if I could get a memory from him. The power had waned significantly lately, to the point where it was almost nonexistent and I wondered if it was gone.

"You wanna come in?" I asked as I fished for my keys once we got off the elevator. "The more I think about it, the less I wanna be alone." I stuck my key into the lock and turned my head, making an absolutely pitiful face that I hoped did the trick.

He smiled because he knew what I was doing. I felt something stir in my stomach, like butterflies. Sometimes I got them just looking at him. "I should be a gentleman and let you go to bed," Steve said in response. I smirked as I tightened my grip on the door, slightly opening it up.

"Well, luckily, I'm no gentleman." Steve bent forward and I pressed my lips against his slightly before pushing the door open fully. My back pushed against the door post and my hand went through Steve's hair, tousling it from being so styled like it was every day. Steve's hand touched my neck and my face at the same time and I found myself trying to stretch taller to get more of him.

That was when I heard it. A gasp. Steve broke away from me and I groaned. What the hell was it now? When I turned my head, I recognized the gasp had come from Jane, who was standing in the living room.

Steve backed away from me slowly and it didn't register why until I saw him. The living room was filled with Tony, Clint, Jane, Darcy… and Thor and Loki. Bile rose in my throat. How were they here? This wasn't happening. Oh, but it was. Loki was wearing regular looking clothes, for once, that were Asgardian and Thor had had his hair half braided for the occasion. My eyes locked on Loki's and I felt it before I said it. "I'm gonna be sick."


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey! I am so sorry for the long wait! Now that it's summer, I'm hoping I can update more regularly. Thank you so much for the support! I love writing this story and Charlotte feels like a friend of mine. Thanks for giving me an excuse to write more of her. Enjoy!**

There had never been a moment in my life where I honestly thought, _Hey, maybe I should kill myself, _but that had changed in under a second. How quickly could I reach the balcony and throw myself over the side? Maybe I could stab myself with a meat cleaver.

Unconsciously, I pinched my left arm. Okay, so I wasn't dreaming. Haha, of fucking course not.

Sick, I was going to be sick.

I locked my eyes on Tony's, my jaw hanging slack, and he quickly took up for me. "Well, show's over," he said. "Let's take our new best friend to where he'll be staying… at least until we lock him up." I kept my arms by my sides but my hands flailed out, fingers curling and uncurling.

"Oh, my God," I whispered. "This is not real." I finally raised my eyes from the ground and saw Loki. I moved my hands to start stroking my hair but I only ended up pulling at it. My face felt hot, feverish. I was breaking out in a sweat. Steve had moved at least five yards away from me and I wondered if he thought I was going to hurl. It was a possibility, a pretty huge possibility.

I glanced back into the living room and I felt frozen. I couldn't read anything on Loki's face, no real emotion. He was blank. He wouldn't be that way for long. I moved my hand to my throat because I felt bile rising up. I realized I was embarrassed… and scared. What the hell was I doing? I was being an idiot, that's what I was doing.

"I, uh, maybe I should leave," said Steve.

"Me too," I said.

"Charlotte, you live here," Clint replied.

"Oh yeah, yeah, you're right." What was I supposed to do? Where was I supposed to go from here? I clapped my hand over my mouth, still in shock.

"This night has already turned out to be the most entertaining night of my year," said Darcy. I practically heaved.

I moved to lean on my good ankle and I realized Steve still had yet to leave. He wasn't going to leave me alone to deal with this, at least, not yet. Still, I didn't want to put him through it more than was necessary. Steve must still be wary of Loki to act in the way he did. He didn't know what had happened in Asgard. Hell, what had actually happened in Asgard? I didn't need to feel guilty about anything and I hadn't felt guilty this entire time. Maybe that was a problem within me but I just didn't feel guilty. I felt embarrassed.

"Since everyone has witnessed the most awkward moment of my life, I say we pick this up tomorrow after I've slept for 12 hours," I said.

"I do not think so." Loki's voice sent a chill down my spine and my hands gripped at my striped tanktop.

"Okay, you wanna talk, let's talk," I said, gesturing with my arm to the hallway with my bedroom down it.

I heard Thor laugh and when I looked he was clapping Tony on the back, making him jolt forward. What the hell kind of joke had Tony told? I narrowed my eyes and Clint started a conversation with Jane and Darcy. Okay, the awkwardness wasn't as bad. Thor started saying something to Tony so I gave Steve a look. He nodded and walked over to stand with Clint and Darcy, who was looking at Steve like she wanted to eat him with a spoon. I started fuming.

Loki arrived in front of me before I could say anything. His lips looked taut which only made his high cheekbones stick out. He was wearing weird, casual clothing and I gave him a once over. He looked okay.

"Don't try anything… No magic, no tricks," I said slowly. He nodded, almost rolling his eyes. I looked around him one last time and I saw Steve nod at me again. He was looking out for me.

I led Loki into my bedroom and I shut the door behind him. When I turned back to Loki, he pushed me against the door and I pushed back. "You can't do this," I whispered to him. But I was caught and he had put his hands against my face with his green eyes sparkling like jewels and I stopped resisting.

"You have been hurt," he said back. His voice was so clear and I clenched my teeth. "Who did it?"

"I'm not at liberty to give out that information but I can tell you that I won. Now if you'll please stay at least five feet away from me." He backed off. I hadn't expected him to and in a way, it almost disappointed me that he had. Selfish, stupid, ridiculous. "Are you okay?" I asked. "How were the, uh, elves?" Loki mustered a sarcastic smile at that. "I take it the brother bonding time wasn't that great?" He smirked. "You not feeling like answering me when you're the one that wanted to talk?" I moved away from the door slowly as I watched Loki trace his hands along the cover on my bed. My hands started shaking.

"You know what I wanted to talk about." My heart sunk.

"I know," I said.

"Why?" Loki's voice seemed to shudder.

"Did I really hurt your feelings or are you faking to make me feel bad for you?" I heard a low whistle outside of my room and I turned to look at the door. Shadows moved back and forth in the light in the crack under the door and I groaned. Tony and Clint were probably eavesdropping.

"You _should_ feel bad for me because I am in this predicament because of you and my brother and I should think you owe me an explanation." I scoffed as Loki sat back on my bed, settling in my favorite spot. It better not smell like him.

"First of all, would you have preferred the poison-falling-on-your-head-forever scenario? Second of all, I don't owe you a damn thing, least of all about this." He raised one of his eyebrows.

"Why did you want me to be here if you were just going to turn on me like that?" His hair was brushing against my favorite pillow and I think he knew it was getting under my skin.

"I didn't ask for this," I said. "I definitely don't think this is 'turning on you.'" This time Loki scoffed. "It's not because I didn't make you any promises in Asgard."

"You may as well have because as I recall, you did not resist-"

"No, okay, I didn't because I am a weak, weak woman." He laughed.

"What a lie. You would only do something because you wanted it." Loki turned on the bed to prop himself up, that Asgardian shirt rising up his torso unwillingly, and I quickly averted my eyes.

"Don't go there," I said. "I've worked hard for this and you are not going to ruin it for me."

"Huh," he responded. "I think I might."

"You wouldn't dare," I said. Steve might be strong enough to withstand whatever Loki would do but I wasn't and he knew it. "I didn't have time to wait for you."

"You knew we would be coming," he responded, now dark, rising off my bed.

"Again, I didn't make you any promises. Even if Steve wasn't a player in this game, you should have realized I can't do anything with you while you're on punishment here. You're a prisoner and you almost obliterated this planet."

"But still, it was only a matter of time."

"I don't have as much time as you do," I responded. "You'll live for thousands of years. I've only got right now. I mean, I could be killed next week. I had to take the opportunity and if you didn't spend so much time hating Steve, you might see why." He narrowed his eyes at me.

"I meant what I told you." I pressed my eyes closed and opened them again fast. He was going to sabotage me and he was well aware that I would crumble under that pressure.

"Why can't you let me be happy?" I asked lowly. He seemed to question that. "I would want you to be happy if our positions were switched." Loki smirked at me.

"You know that is not true. You displayed jealousy when you saw Jane's little friend even look at your dear Captain America." I felt my eyes widen and my cheeks flush.

"That's different."

"Of course," he responded. Loki moved towards me and I took a step back. He put his hands to my hips before I could protest and moved my shirt off of my stomach. I stared at him in disbelief as he ran his fingers across the bruises on my belly and then across the mark on my chest. I closed my eyes and tilted my head back when I felt pain alleviate. "Are you sure I am not the one you want?" Loki said into my ear and I shook away from him. He only smiled. "This one I will leave," he said, brushing the back of his hand against the bruise on my face, "only because it would be obvious. But tell me if anyone touches you like that again. I will ensure they do not anymore." I smiled back. Sometimes it was nice to be a little overprotected.

"Will do," I responded. "You take care of yourself while you're here and I'll do what I can for you." He nodded.

"Of course, Charlotte."

I threw open the door to my bedroom and saw Tony and Clint scoot across the hallway, pretending to be doing something other than eavesdropping. I cut my eyes at them and pretended to be angry. I had figured the minute I closed the door that someone would be pressing a glass to it and who better than Tony and Clint?

I saw Clint and Loki look at each other like they were sizing one another up. I only led the three of them back into the living room. I saw that Bruce had come down from the labs and evidently, Loki did too. I stopped walking and he practically ran me over. I threw out my arm to prevent myself from falling but I wouldn't have. Loki balled his hand into the fabric of my shirt, almost pulling me back. I turned to give him a weird look but then I realized that Loki was actually terrified of Bruce. He looked paler than he had a few minutes before and his eyes were locked on him.

I was tempted to explain that Bruce wouldn't hurt a fly but likely, everyone else had predicted this reaction and they wanted it that way.

"Ah, I see you've noticed that your new prison guard is here," said Tony with a laugh. I was totally right. They wanted to put the fear of God into Loki. And clearly, they had.

"If you rip this shirt, you're buying me another," I muttered. I'm not even sure Loki heard me.

"Chop chop!" said Tony. "We need a group meeting sans you! Bruce, take him to where he'll be staying and make sure he stays in line." I reached behind me and tried to push Loki back. It was the only thing I could think of doing, other than telling him to man up. But Loki really knew nothing about the Hulk. I'd never told him anything about it. Surely, his only encounter with the Hulk had been the one where he'd been pounded into the ground and I can see why he'd be skeptical to hang with Bruce. My thing was, how could he not tell the difference between the two?

Loki wasn't about to budge and I felt his hand against my back. Bruce only looked at me like I was the one who needed to do something. Steve looked like he hadn't yet figured out the situation; why was Loki so weirded out by Bruce? That's a thought that Steve should've had figured out. Darcy looked like she wished she had a bowl of popcorn and Jane and Thor only looked like they felt sorry for Loki.

"Hey," I said, turning to face Loki. His hand was still in my shirt and I yanked away from him to put my hands on his arms. "It's not gonna be for long. Thor will be down there in a minute," I whispered. "Pull yourself together."

Loki looked down at me and narrowed his green eyes, like I was pulling his fear out of thin air. But ultimately, he nodded and moved to follow Bruce. I sucked in my breath when the door closed behind them both.

"So what the hell was that about?" asked Darcy.

"All due respect, you're not an agent so…" said Tony.

"Neither are you," said Steve. Clint only laughed. Natasha arrived on the heels of Bruce leaving with Loki.

"So what'd I miss?" she asked, throwing open the apartment door like it was rigged with explosives.

"The most embarrassing moment of Charlotte's life," said Clint. I fake laughed.

"Obviously you don't know me very well if you think that was the most embarrassing moment of my life," I said. "Although it does make the top ten." Accidentally seeing your ex when you're with your new boyfriend could never not be awkward as far as I was concerned. "Nonetheless, sorry." I felt the need to apologize for somehow everything with Loki revolving around me but hey, if the shoe fits.

"Whatever, man, it was entertaining," said Darcy.

"Darcy!" scolded Jane. Darcy rolled her eyes in response.

"You were thinking the same thing!"

"Okay, so what's the deal with Loki?" asked Clint.

"Yeah," I said. "Powers or no powers?" I asked, pretending Loki hadn't just healed my midsection. "Where's he staying? Did anyone tell S.H.I.E.L.D. what was up? Please, God, let no one have called Bucky."

"My brother has retained some magical ability," said Thor, finally speaking, "but he is in no state to travel between realms or have contact with anyone not on this planet."

"Well, that's better news than I was expecting," said Steve.

"But what can he do with the powers he's still got?" asked Jane. Thor made a face, like he was trying to remember all the pranks Loki had pulled over the years.

"I take it he doesn't need magic to be an asshole," said Clint.

"Bingo," I replied.

"I told S.H.I.E.L.D. when I got Clint's message," said Natasha. Thankfully one thing was out of the way.

"Cool, so where's he staying?" I asked. Silence filled the air. I raised my eyebrows.

"He can't stay in S.H.I.E.L.D. all the time, can he?" asked Steve. Leave it to Steve to play Good Samaritan with an Asgardian god that wanted to kill him.

"In fact, he won't be staying there much at all," said Tony.

"Wait, what the hell are you saying?" I asked. Darcy tried to hold in a laugh and Jane looked positively worried that I might have a heart attack. Thor only looked confused.

"You see," began Tony, "we've already talked to S.H.I.E.L.D. and the thing is, the way they see it, Loki being here is all you and Thor's fault so they see no reason for him to stay at headquarters. He'll be staying here."

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me!" I exclaimed. Sometimes it felt like every decision S.H.I.E.L.D. made was one that they'd designed to give me an even harder time than usual.

"Yeah, you and Thor are gonna basically be babysitters," said Clint. I knew he was saying it to rile me up and not really because hey, it's somewhat true, but I almost snapped

"Charlotte," warned Steve. I nodded at him. I needed to calm down.

"You actually _agreed _to having Loki stay in your building?" I asked Tony. I thought it would be a cold day in hell before something like would happen. But he only made a face in response.

"Seeing as I'm not the one who will be taking care of him, thank God, I'm okay with it. I mean, let's be honest, Loki is at least 30% hair and 70% daddy issues," said Tony. I couldn't argue with that logic.

"This is just not gonna fly," I said. "I don't want Thor to be stuck inside all day and I still have a lot of training to do with Bucky." I would be more than happy to slag off there but I had committed to him, like it or not.

"I don't think anyone will be happy about him coming to HQ," began Natasha, "but I don't see a way to avoid it." I was glad to see that she was slightly on my side. I could never really tell where Natasha stood on a multitude of issues.

"They're just going to have to deal with it," said Steve. "It's what we've been getting ready for this entire time. S.H.I.E.L.D. is at least marginally prepared." Of course, he was right.

"I mean, I've got no qualms with looking out for Loki while we're there but I can't be in two places at once and I don't want Thor to suffer for this," I said. It occurred to me that Thor hadn't chimed in on how he was feeling about this new card the two of us had been dealt. I looked at him and raised my eyebrows.

"I will do whatever is asked of me," said Thor. "Make no mistake, even though Loki is weakened, he can certainly still do some damage."

The conversation meandered on for a little while longer until everyone finally got the hint that I was so tired, I was falling asleep on my feet. Jane apologized to me about everything, like the situation was anything but my fault. Darcy only made to high five me and I had to admit, that got her a laugh. Natasha gave a quick goodbye when Clint was ready to leave, leaving Steve, Tony, Thor, and I left. Thor hugged me and told me that the two of us would get through it together and I didn't doubt that he meant it. He went down to where Loki was staying. Tony made to go to his bedroom but I wasn't naïve enough to believe he wouldn't be eavesdropping on me some more.

"Are you going to be okay?" Steve's voice shook me from my thoughts. I only nodded.

"Yeah, I don't think it'll be a big deal, honestly," I said, although I had no way of knowing what was going to happen.

"What did Loki say to you?" Steve made it seem like he was asking out of simple curiosity but I could swear, he was trying not to bite his lip, which could only be a sign of jealousy. While I might have lied before, I didn't think I could now.

"Well, he seemed to think that his being here was orchestrated so that he could be close to me," I said. Steve breathed out harshly. "I think… I know that that was Thor's original intention for sending him here. He wanted Loki around people he knew and he trusted. I don't exactly blame him there." It was the first time I'd said that information to anyone and Steve seemed to catch that.

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him that I'd made my choice." Maybe I hadn't said it in so many words but it had been heavily implied and Loki knew that I didn't mince words. "Are you worried?"

"Should I be?" I gulped and I felt clammy. I shrugged.

"I don't wanna lie to you so I can't make you any promises." He nodded and turned away from me for a moment. My stomach turned in knots and I wasn't sure that I had ever felt this bad before. I didn't want Steve to be unhappy and I also didn't want to lie, even though maybe I hadn't been totally truthful with him to begin with. I thought I might start crying. "I'm trying, I'm really trying hard."

"I know," he responded, turning back to me. I sucked in my breath. "You can't turn off your feelings." I nodded.

"It won't get in my way but still…"

"You loved him." I nodded again. Steve only nodded down at me and made to leave. Was he angry with me? Or was I just angry with myself?

"I think I might love you too," I choked out. Steve turned back to me then, looking like he didn't quite catch what I'd said. I nodded. I was sure of it, totally sure, and I'd thought it for a while. Maybe it wasn't the opportune moment to say it but I needed him, whether he needed me or not. I couldn't live with something not being said, especially at a time like this.

His face seemed hard to read but when he almost cracked a smile at me, I felt relieved. "I might love you too," he responded. I nodded and rubbed my neck anxiously, trying not to reveal how unapologetically happy I was.

"I'm glad to hear it," I said.

"You're going to get through this, Charlotte," said Steve. "It'll be hard but you will get through it. I have faith in you."

"Glad to hear that too," I replied. "I'm going to get through this," I repeated.

"Yes, you are." Steve still looked intense, maybe a little hurt, maybe a little relieved. Still he walked forward and kissed me on the cheek before leaving, which made me think that maybe things still weren't quite right and he just wasn't saying anything. Of course, how could things be right? There was nothing okay about this situation. Like an idiot, I had chosen to ignore the fact that Loki would be coming back to Earth and like an idiot, I'd gone out of my way to avoid talking about it with Steve. That wasn't the right thing to do. Maybe if we had talked to each other and already had this depressing conversation, I would feel more secure. Maybe I wouldn't be so angry with myself.

I'd said it to Loki and it was true; I was a weak, weak woman.

I locked the door behind Steve and vaguely contemplated getting drunk before falling into my bed. That wouldn't be the responsible thing to do, would it? Still, it would drain my mind. I talked myself out of it slowly before shutting myself up in my room and getting ready for bed.

I didn't have a clue what to do. I could give myself one point for finally being vaguely honest with Steve but I needed to take three away because I might have hurt him. Steve didn't show hurt the way I or Loki did. Hell, he didn't show most emotions the way I or Loki did. Steve was largely in control of the way he thought and the way he did things. I guess that was required when you were in charge of a group of superheroes. Still, I'd come away from the night still largely on top. But I knew that things weren't going to be the same inside Steve and I's relationship. There was just no logical way for this night not to have taken a toll on us.

I put my hands to my face before pulling away just as fast when I hit my bruise. I would deal with everything tomorrow. My original plan had been to go to bed as soon as I entered the apartment and I think I owed it to myself to follow through with that.

I slid into my favorite spot, babying my weak ankle. That's when it hit me; the smell, the chill that normally wasn't there. I wanted to jolt out of my bed and go sleep on the couch. My brain was telling me that that was what I should do. A good person would crawl out of their fantastic bed and sleep on their couch. Unfortunately, I wasn't that good a person.

I turned and buried my face into my pillow, soaking up the cold and the smell that Loki had left behind. I rolled over and hid my whole body under the covers, trying to enjoy it before it faded. If Loki wanted to drive a wedge into my relationship, it was already beginning to work.

When I woke up, I moved in a daze to get dressed in some patterned office pants and a white shirt that you could see my bra through but I simply didn't care. Unfortunately for my ankle, I put on heels. Today I was going to be doing desk work and there was going to be a meeting. I was always given time to recover from my last fight before I got back into training. Although I might have benefited from shooting something.

Tony was up when I walked into the kitchen and he gave me a sympathetic look. "How was it?" he asked.

"Are you claiming you didn't eavesdrop?" I asked, my voice still tired. Regardless of what had happened the night before, I'd slept the best I had in a while.

"For once, I didn't." I believed him so I nodded.

"I might be getting dumped here soon so go on and get ready for us to hit singles clubs together." Tony laughed.

"I am not that desperate."

"Yeah, me neither."

"You gonna be okay?" I nodded.

"Yep. I am gonna be fine. I am a regular Sally Sunshine." Tony laughed again.

"Repeat it like a mantra."

"Should I drive Thor and Loki to HQ?" Tony nodded, his good mood gone. "I figured as much. I'll see you soon at the meeting we're bound to have." He briefly told me where Thor and Loki were staying.

I walked out of the apartment without much of a goodbye and luckily, I think Tony understood that I didn't want to hear one. I leaned against the wall of the elevator as it went down a floor. I babied my ankle on the walk to their room and I knocked on the door. I heard noises from behind the door and I winced. I hoped they hadn't torn apart the room.

I heard several locks unbolt and suddenly the door was thrown open. Bruce was on the other side, looking very tired, but he mustered a smile. "You're off duty, buddy," I said. "Now it's my shift."

"Do I look as tired as I feel?" Bruce responded.

"Tell me how that's different than any other day." He half-laughed. I looked beyond him to see that Bruce had somehow gotten the two Asgardians ready for their day at S.H.I.E.L.D. I was impressed. Thor was wearing normal clothes that looked appropriate for work, surprisingly enough, and Loki was wearing a Henley and had somehow managed to tame his hair. His clothes looked a little big on him. I wish I could have said he looked terrible but as it was, he didn't. I hate myself. "Ya'll ready to hit corporate?" Thor nodded and Loki didn't look thrilled. Good.

I gestured with my hand out the door and I nodded at Bruce before taking them to the elevator. "Did either of you get any sleep last night?" I asked as we got on. I figured making small talk might help me and it would've been rude to only address Thor.

"Did you?" asked Loki. I snapped my head back to look at him.

"No, Charlotte, neither of us slept," said Thor, stepping between the two of us. He was right to make sure I couldn't wrap my hands around that Frost Giant's neck. Oh, who was I kidding? Why was Loki to blame for me having feelings for him? That was no one's fault but my own.

"How were the elves?" I muttered, waiting to reach the level of the building housing my Jeep.

"They were not pleasant," Thor responded.

"But you took care of them."

"Indeed, I did." I nodded.

When we reached my Jeep, I made sure that Thor sat in the front with me. Loki sat in the back smirking in my rearview mirror. Before I backed out of my parking space, I crooked the mirror down. Sure, I needed it to drive with but I doubted we'd make it to headquarters without Loki pulling some kind of stunt. But by the time we were halfway there, Loki hadn't tried anything. I moved the mirror back into position after minutes of silence.

Loki moved forward, putting his head between me and Thor. I rolled my eyes. "If you're planning on wrecking my car, just make sure I hit something that instantly kills me," I said.

"Charlotte, you seem to be in a mood," Loki replied.

"Do I, Loki?" I narrowed my eyes at him in my mirror.

"Is that the new headquarters?" Thor asked. Bless his heart for trying to distract me. It worked. Thor knew why I was in a mood and if I didn't know any better, I'd say he was on my side.

"Yeah, New York took quite a beating and still has quite a bit of recovery to go through but S.H.I.E.L.D. was ahead of the curve," I said. Ours was one of the first buildings that substantially recovered from the alien attacks a few months back. From the outside, it was nothing more than a boring office building which was exactly the cover that S.H.I.E.L.D. needed.

Thor didn't seem to know how to deal with me when I was in a bitchy mood and I figured he had yet to deal with that personality on Earth. Sif had to have given him hell from time to time.

I parked the car in the underground parking garage and made it clear I meant business when the two of them emerged from my Jeep. "You behave yourself, Loki, no matter what the cost," I said in the elevator. "You sit on your hands if you need to. Hell, maybe I'll tape your mouth shut. That might give me some joy."

"I have not even begun all the things that I plan to do here and to do to you and yet, I have already won," Loki responded. I grit my teeth together. I couldn't even deny it. Thor looked down at me and raised his eyebrows. "If you would be so kind, would you care to tell me what my newest victory is?" He had leaned forward, almost touching me. I only pressed the number to our floor again.

"I am going to get through this," I muttered to myself.

But when the three of us got off the elevator, the last remaining sliver of confidence I had faded away. I led Thor and Loki down a hallway, the two of them falling behind me, flagging my left and right. I pretended not to notice the weird stares we got. I'm fairly sure one person dropped their coffee mug. This was probably what many of the lower agents had been afraid of. They assumed I'd always been in league with Loki and had some way of keeping in contact with him even when he wasn't on Earth. This might confirm all of their fears.

When we arrived in the break room where most of the higher agents, including the Avengers, came, I almost lost my mind. Bucky was standing inside, chatting up some chick I vaguely recognized from HR. When he turned his money-making face, the reaction I got was priceless.

"What the hell is this?" he demanded, spurning his girl of the week to talk about Loki.

"It really isn't what it looks like," I responded.

"Is he who hit you?" asked Loki.

"It's none of your business," I said, "but yes. We are required to hit each other nearly once a week." I looked around the room slowly, wondering who might be watching this scene. Steve was there, which nearly made my heart stop, and so were Clint and Tony. Natasha was lounging on a couch, pondering whether she should waste her time watching Bucky and I go up against each other again. Bruce was pretending to get coffee and the girl from HR only looked pissed.

While I'd looked around, Thor had moved in front of me to almost challenge Bucky. "I know not who you are but Charlotte is a friend of mine and you will pay dearly for hurting her again," Thor said. That warmed my heart so much that I wanted to cry.

"Thor," Steve and I said at the same time. Thor snapped to Steve rather than to me. "They're partners. They have to train together."

"I'm just not very good at it," I said. "But Barnes, let me make myself clear, this isn't any of your concern. This is a me-and-Thor problem, apparently." Although I had a few ideas about getting the other Avengers in on the action.

"I don't appreciate being patronized, Kent," Bucky said back. He may have had a point but I was angry at myself and I just needed to push it as far as it would go. "Tell me why an international fugitive is on Earth, walking around freely, or I'll find a way to take care of it." I laughed in his face.

"How, Barnes? Who could you call? The Soviet Union? Besides, I don't have the time for this petty argument right now." I tried to move past him but he blocked my path. I looked up at him and narrowed my eyes.

"I think we're all owed answers."

"Well, you're the only one who wasn't aware Loki was coming because I knew that you'd give me hell. Now you can't tell me I didn't make the right decision."

"Why are you so angry?"

"Why do you always have to get in my face?" I said back.

"This isn't about me," said Bucky. "Something's up with you." I narrowed my eyes at him again.

"Both of you need to cool off," said Steve. I shot my eyes over at him and I only got angrier at myself. Normally just hearing Steve made it sink in that I really needed to calm down and it helped me but today, there was just too much going on.

"We've got a meeting anyway," said Natasha. Bruce nodded.

Everyone seemed to wait for either Bucky or me to make a move. I backed down from the alpha stance I'd fallen into and Bucky backed up a couple of feet before descending on me again. I moved to block him from hitting me but instead was shocked when he pulled up my shirt. I attempted to push him off me but Loki had done it for me. In a matter of seconds, Loki had thrust Bucky away from me but without hurting him.

Everyone in the room froze, including me. Loki and Bucky stared each other down before Loki backed down of his own volition.

"What the hell is going on?" demanded Steve. I threw up my hands.

"You are healed," said Bucky, directing his comment to me, pointing a finger. The breath froze in my lungs and Loki only gave me a look. He hadn't been trying to get me in trouble when he'd done it, I knew that. "There is no possible way that you should be looking as good as you do right now when I punched you in the gut twelve hours ago. The only things that are still the same are that shiner on your face and your twisted ankle." Steve looked between the two of us, openly in shock.

"Some people bruise easy and then they fade," I said. "There's nothing supernatural about it."

"Oh, I'm not saying it's supernatural… I'm saying you had help." Bucky turned his eyes on Loki whose face was a mask.

"I do not have that ability anymore," Loki said, "which might happen to be lucky since I will not have to be begged to use it on you." I couldn't help the smile that came onto my face. Loki was an evil and sadistic son of a bitch but damn, was he on my side.

"I've never thought much of you," began Bucky, "a woman who would betray her own country for a couple of one-off dates with a psychopath, but I didn't think you were a cheater."

"Damn," said Clint.

"You know, I'm getting really tired of defending myself to you," I said. "One, I didn't betray my country, not knowingly, and you can take that to the bank. Two, if cheating is having an above-average immune system, thank God, no one penalizes you for beating me into the floor every chance you get. I think if I'm cheating then that's exactly what you're doing. How in the hell is it right for you to drag out every single challenge just so that I can suffer more and you can embarrass me in front of my friends? I'm sick of it! Three, if you have problems with me that you just can't live with, please quit S.H.I.E.L.D. so that I don't have to hear your whining 24/7. We're all getting tired of the fact that you're jealous your best friend replaced you."

"Preach, Charlotte!" said Clint.

"Charlotte," muttered Steve.

"I'm sorry that I'm not sorry," I said. "I've kept this in so long that I thought I would explode."

"None of it changes the fact that you're a traitor," said Bucky.

"I was _never _a traitor, you asshole." I vaguely registered that other agents were coming into the room, no doubt to secure Loki… or hell, maybe they were here to secure me.

"Yes, you were," he responded. "You betrayed your country and your so-called friends for a man that tried to take over the world!"

"That really does it." I didn't think before balling my right hand into a fist and connecting it to Bucky's jaw. He moved back from the blow and I yelped before clutching my hand to my chest. "Shit, that hurt," I muttered. When I looked up from babying my wrist, I saw Steve standing between me and Bucky, looking furious. I felt like crawling into a hole and dying. "Whoops."

I looked around the room slowly and I saw that everyone seemed shocked, even Natasha. Bucky and I had always had tension but we'd never called each other out before. When I saw Thor and Loki, I felt myself start to clam up. Thor didn't seem to know what to make of the situation and Loki didn't seem ruffled by it. Then again, he never did.

"Barnes, Kent, come with me." I turned my head slowly to see Fury and I groaned. "Rogers, you take care of everything else and ready us for the meeting."

I put my head in my hands but I followed him anyway. I heard Bucky on my heels and it made me clench my fists again. I immediately stopped doing that when I felt the strain on my right hand. Why couldn't I ever do anything athletic without some sort of consequence?

When we arrived at Fury's office, I sat in a chair in front of his desk beside Bucky. The two of us cut our eyes over at each other angrily.

"Do I need to put you two in time out?" I glanced back to Fury and rolled my eyes. "Don't mock me or make faces, Kent. The two of you are acting like children. Now I know you've got your problems and no one is claiming you don't but this takes everything to a whole new level. What the hell started it?" It was true that it was at a whole new level. Bucky and I had never gotten physical outside of training and after the first couple of weeks, we didn't tell each other off in front of other people.

"Well, maybe you can explain why Loki is on Earth, sir," said Bucky.

"The simple explanation is that this is his punishment, Barnes. He's here to make it up to us, specifically by working with the Avengers. In all likelihood, you won't be dealing with him very much. This is an Avengers and Charlotte Kent problem. It has nothing to do with you." Dare I say that Fury sounded like he was defending me?

"That's what started it though," I said. "I brought in Loki and Thor and Bucky reacted." I couldn't deny that maybe I had wanted to incite some fury from Bucky, just so that I would have someone to take out my anger on. That hadn't been right and now that I had calmed down, I knew I needed to apologize. "I specifically requested that no one tell Bucky about the situation with Loki and that is entirely my fault. I thought he would overreact, given how he feels about me personally. So I'm sorry I kept it from you, Barnes, but Fury is right. This really has nothing to do with you." Bucky only rolled his eyes.

"Maybe everyone else falls for that but you can't tell me that you won't be partnering up with Loki again," said Bucky. I didn't respond.

"Okay, okay," said Fury. "Cool it. Charlotte, why did you hit him?"

"Maybe because he called me a traitor to my country? Or maybe it was because he insinuated that I was cheating when we're training? Oh, I don't know. Pick a reason!" I said.

"Neither of you have gotten violent outside of the fights and I find it hard to believe that that has all changed today. I think something set you off, Charlotte, and given the situation at hand, it's not at all unbelievable that you'd be riled up."

"Please," I said. "That's ridiculous." Fury made a face and Bucky was only staring at me. They both knew it was true.

"Fine, you don't have to tell me but we're not leaving until this is settled. Now I really don't like giving lectures but I feel like I have to give one to the two of you. Your complaints about each other are not wrong and it's completely normal to experience some animosity with a new partner. You're both trying to find ways to work with each other and you're getting angry when one of you is better than the other. Again, that's totally normal. And I can't say, given both of your backgrounds, that I didn't expect you to clash. Agent Kent has committed a few felonies and yes, Barnes, they were committed in service to Loki Laufeyson. Agent Barnes has a few nasty things in his past too and yes, Kent, he did them in service of the Soviet Union. Do these few things mean that you absolutely cannot work together? No. And of course, you're allowed to have your own opinions about those things but you have to realize that these things happened _in the past._ I know that you must think you're entirely different from one another but you need to focus on the things you have in common."

"We have nothing in common," I said. "That's the problem. That's why we can't work together." Bucky nodded in agreement.

Fury shook his head. "You're both blinded by unsubstantiated hate for each other. You've got that in common." I mustered a laugh at that. "You're both good agents under pressure." Sure, okay. "You're both willing to make the sacrifice play."

"That's a joke," said Bucky. "Charlotte wouldn't do anything for me."

"You got that right," I said.

"Yeah, you say that," said Fury, "but Charlotte is capable of it. She would go down for Rogers or Thor or Stark or Barton. Hell, she may even take a bullet for you when the time comes. So the attitude can stop now. This leads me to the major thing you have in common."

"And what's that?"

"Rogers." I felt my hands start shaking so I gripped the handles on the chair. I went rigid. I noticed Bucky beside me do the same thing. "Maybe I should bring him in here for the lecture. You might actually listen to him."

"It may be something we have in common but it's also the reason we can't work together."

"I'm really getting sick of the excuses. You've almost fully completed your training together and you'll be able to be sent out on missions soon. Do not ruin it. I'm not giving either of you a new partner so keep dreaming. Now I'll leave you with this before you go. Your problems with each other end right now. I'm gonna clear up some discrepancies for each of you." He turned to Bucky. "Barnes, Charlotte Kent has been an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. for over six years. She happens to have only one black mark on her record and it's the one thing you can't seem to get past. I understand that it's a big deal and you think you're looking out for a friend but I can tell you that I am sick of you undermining my authority."

"Sir?" said Bucky. I started smirking. This was going to be good.

"Every time you mention that Agent Kent should be in jail and that she shouldn't be here or be trusted, I cringe a little. You know why? Because Kent is here under my jurisdiction. She's a great agent who made a mistake. Do you honestly think that I would allow her to be on the premises, let alone training for a field position, if I thought for one second that she was selling us out to some aliens? I can tell you, the answer is no. Do you think that Rogers would defend her every chance he gets if she was a traitor? No. Do you think that any of the Avengers would continue a friendship with her if that was the case? No. Kent doesn't deserve the backlash you've given her. She's a good agent and she's done nothing but prove herself worthy of everyone's trust since the battle for New York. So the next time I hear a complaint from you, Barnes, there will be hell to pay."

"Thank you, sir," I said. Fury turned to me.

"Oh, you're not off scot-free, Kent. The mistakes Barnes made, the killings he committed, were not even done to his knowledge. The more you guilt trip about the Soviet Union and his connections there, the more unsympathetic you come across. Barnes is recovering from losing years of his life and your teasing is not helping his recovery. I suggest that the both of you reevaluate what you've been thinking of each other. If there is another problem like this, I'm sending in Rogers. So Barnes, you're dismissed but Kent, I have a question for you."

I stayed seated while waiting for Bucky to leave. I wondered if the lecture had gotten through to him. It hadn't really gotten through to me. Then again, I wasn't thinking straight. I was still so angry with myself, now about this too, that I could barely sit still.

"Barnes may still not know you very well but I do, Kent. Tell me what the hell is going on." I shook my head.

"Nothing is going on," I responded. "At least, nothing I can't handle." I knew deep down that I was being irrational. Last night hadn't gone as badly as it could have. Hell, Steve might not have been angry. But now, he certainly was.

"Is it about Loki?" I smiled.

"How could you possibly guess?"

"Look, your personal life is none of my business and I can assure you that I really don't want to know details but if somehow, your personal life is causing you problems professionally, I have to step in. It would be in your best interest to tell me."

"Okay," I said. "Steve and I never really talked about what would happen when Loki got here and now that he is here, I feel like I'm having trouble with it… and I think that means Steve is having trouble with it too. I mean, I know he is. We semi-talked a little last night and now I'm just angry at myself."

"I am in no way a therapist and I don't claim to know what's going on inside that psychopath's brain but I think this is part of Loki's plan. You can't give into it, Charlotte, otherwise he wins. He's not happy about being on Earth and I'm sure he's not happy about you carrying on with Rogers. I understand it's difficult for you but I am telling you, you can't let this get in the way of what you have to do."

I nodded. "I understand that."

"Don't take it out on anyone else… and maybe you should talk to Rogers about it."

I left to go to the meeting room and let the things Fury had said sink in. He was right about more than one thing. I really appreciated that he had gone out of his way to defend me to Bucky. I also really appreciated the fact that he had defended Bucky to me too. I didn't feel like he was playing favorites and I knew that, for the most part, he was entirely right. But it wouldn't be easy to get past Bucky not trusting me. Trust was a major part of working with partners and I couldn't magically get Bucky to have faith in me. It was going to take a lot of work and with Loki in town, Bucky and I would have to go on the back burner.

Next on the list of things to do was to talk to Steve. I really did not want to lower myself to that level of groveling but I felt the need to anyway. Steve had been really good to me about everything so far, including Bucky and my old relationship with Loki. He didn't deserve the bullshit that was going on. But how could I possibly explain myself? 'Oh, whoops, I hate myself and decided to take it out on your old friend, who you adore more than life itself.' No. Nope, this was a terrible idea.

I would wait until my shift was over… or at least until it was lunch.

When I arrived in front of the meeting room, I saw Steve and Bucky talking farther down the hall. I strained to catch a glimpse of them and see if I could hear what they were talking about. It was heated, that much was certain, and even from this angle, I could see a bruise welling up on the bottom of Bucky's jaw. That made me smile.

I saw them break apart and Steve start walking my way so I opened the door to the meeting room quickly and stepped in. Avoidance was my number one way of dealing with problems. My wrist throbbed and I looked around the room slowly. Loki was handcuffed to the table and I hadn't realized how much I wanted to see that until I did. This was a nice form of payback for leaving me in the office in New Mexico to take some slack.

"Looks like you've got a mean right hook!" said Clint. I put a finger to my lips and shook my head.

"My parole officer will be walking in at any minute," I said. Steve wasn't a parole officer but God, did it sometimes feel like he was. He was probably getting tired of having to defend me all the time and really, I couldn't blame him.

I quickly took an empty seat beside Thor, who just seemed confused, and left the chair next to me empty for Steve. I doubted anyone had decided to fill Thor in on what was going on because Thor was basically attached at the hip to Loki. Not that it would matter whether Loki knew about Bucky because our pretty public fight had probably given him all the information he could want.

"So you have a new partner, I take it?" Thor broke the silence between us. Everyone else seemed to be chattering away, other than Loki, who was watching everyone and taking in the scene.

"Unfortunately, yeah," I responded.

"You do not like him?" I shrugged.

"It's not so much that I don't like him… We just don't get along."

"Why could you not be my partner?" I half-smiled.

"I'd really like that, Thor. I don't think you know how much." I had to admit, that above most other things, the friendship I had gained by meeting Thor had been the biggest benefit to dealing with the Avengers. He had never been uncouth with me or rash and he had always listened whenever I spoke, whether other people listened or not. Something big would have to break my bond with Thor and I hoped it never came.

"Who is he?"

"His name is Bucky Barnes… and he happens to be Steve's best friend." I glanced over at Thor, waiting for him to judge me and ask why I couldn't get along with Bucky. If Steve favored us both, we had to be similar. There was no reason for there to be strife between us. But Thor didn't give me any of the arguments I'd gotten used to over the past few months. Instead he just rumpled his brow and asked me a question.

"I thought you were Steve's best friend?" If there was anyone I knew that could comprehend the idea of having multiple best friends, it was Thor. So why was he acting like I was possessive of Steve?

I shrugged again as Steve finally entered the room with Fury (no doubt, Fury told him about the stern lecture Bucky and I had gotten). "I really don't know where I stand with him anymore," I replied, cutting my eyes over to Loki. He had heard every word of Thor and I's conversation, which, like I mentioned, wouldn't have bothered me… but now he knew. That last sentence confirmed that he was winning whatever this current game was.

I looked back to Thor, who shifted his eyes between Loki and I before focusing again on me. I felt weird, like I always had, to even mention the idea of going back and forth between Loki and Steve to Thor. It wasn't that Thor wouldn't have good advice or that he'd tell either of them what I told him… but Thor was invested in all three parties. Steve had become close with Thor through the Avengers. The two of them could bond over confusing technological advances. Thor had essentially become my best friend and I knew that he thought of me in the same way. His father had even told me that Thor thinks of me as a long lost sister. Then there was Loki, who Thor accepted and loved no matter what he did.

"I do not know what to tell you," said Thor. I could tell that if he had answers, he would've given them to me, no matter what the cost to himself or anyone else involved.

"You're a good man, Thor, and I don't ever want to put you in a position where you feel like you're playing both sides of the fence. I don't have to talk to you about this stuff." He shook his head.

"You can tell me whatever you like." I smiled.

"Yeah, I know."

It seemed like it had taken several minutes for Steve to decide to sit beside me. I bit my bottom lip when he finally did and I wondered if I had made an incredibly stupid decision to leave the seat next to me open. Steve wasn't going to bring anything up now and I was so confident in that that I turned to him and smiled. He gave me one back but it was fake. I could tell because of my recent field agent training in body language analysis.

I moved my hands to my lap and clenched and unclenched them. It was a good strategy to keep me from freaking out. "I'm really sorry," I muttered, staring down at the table.

"He deserved it," Steve replied. I breathed a sigh of relief. It was a good sign that he was on my side with it, right?

Fury got our attention and started the meeting, which had to have been one of the most boring occasions of my life. Maybe he was dragging it out to torture Loki. At any rate, I couldn't wait until I was done for the day.

Steve managed to block my view every time I looked back to Loki. I knew that, for the most part, it wasn't intentional because it couldn't be. Steve wouldn't go out of his way to do that because it would be so incredibly juvenile. Just because he wanted to slouch on the table didn't mean a thing. Except for the fact that Steve didn't slouch.

At lunch, I was relieved when Thor said he was on Loki duty and had a meeting with Fury and Coulson. My credibility was already down the drain and I didn't need Loki's help to cement other agents' hatred of me.

Steve and I normally ate lunch together, other than when Steve thought he should eat with Bucky. For all I knew, that's exactly what he wanted to do today. He could successfully avoid me and teach me a lesson at the same time. But Steve wouldn't do that to me, right? He had never played that card yet and I had faith that he wouldn't.

I sat in the break room, after searching through the refrigerator for something worth eating. Should I torture myself with a salad? Or should I go for an onion bagel and make myself repulsive to everyone else? Whatever, onion bagels didn't even make people smell bad. Someone stupid manages to ruin their enjoyment for us all.

Another day in the head of Charlotte Kent.

I settled for the bagel and slathered it with cream cheese before sitting at an empty table in the corner of the room. I somewhat missed having a cafeteria but S.H.I.E.L.D. was working on it or at least, they promised they were in the last company email. I looked up before taking my first bite and saw Steve enter the room. All of a sudden, I lost my appetite.

Steve came over and sat at the table with me. "Hey," he said, sounding more cheerful than he had earlier.

"Hey," I said back. I felt my nails dig into the bread of the bagel. "Where's, uh, where's your lunch?" He pulled it out and I felt my heart break a little. Steve sometimes brought his lunch in a lunchbox and there was just something about that that was so cute. It made me smile. "Do you wanna talk about, you know, stuff?"

Steve smiled a little in response. "I suppose we should," he replied. "Fury told me he had to lecture you and Bucky." I nodded while making a face.

"I hope that never happens again."

"It won't if you and Bucky learn to control your animosity." I nodded.

"Yeah, I know… It's just…"

"It's hard for him and I know it's hard for you but is there any way the two of you can put this stuff in the past and start working together?"

"I think you need to be asking him that."

"Maybe I should. But Fury was telling me that there were some extenuating circumstances that caused you to lash out this morning. What were they?" Steve really didn't seem to get it.

I took a bite of my bagel, hoping it would work the way it worked for people in Twix commercials. They took a bite of a Twix and it gave them time to come up with an answer to a question or know how to handle a situation. Unfortunately, my bagel wasn't a Twix bar and I was stuck being as ineloquent as I always was.

"Steve, I'm not really good at this," I said. "I'm not really good at talking about this kinda thing."

"Yes, you are. You can talk at a mile a minute. Don't sell yourself short. I'll understand it, whatever it is." Yes and that was exactly the problem. Steve would understand if I resorted to cannibalism!

"The day I came home from Asgard, Loki kissed me and I should've been straightforward from the beginning but I wanted you to think that there was nothing stopping me from being with you. It was wrong and I'm really sorry. I feel like I've been playing you this whole time but I… I really, really adore you and then everything else didn't really matter. I knew Loki would be expecting something from me but I chose to ignore it when I should have talked things over with you and you could've helped me figure everything out. And then, last night, I couldn't honestly tell you that you shouldn't be worried and now I'm just so angry with myself because I still have feelings for Loki. And you understand it because you seem to understand everything. I'm sorry that I lied to you. I'm really, really sorry… and if you want to leave me, please do it now."

Steve sat back in his chair and stared over at me for a moment before responding. I actually think I was on the verge of tears. "I don't want to leave you and yes, you should have to talked to me about it because we could've made a plan… but I don't want you to beat yourself up over this." I leaned onto the table and pressed the bottom of my palms against my eyes to stave off tears.

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Well, who do you want?"

"You, of course. I want you." And maybe a little bit of Loki. Just a little.

"Then what is the problem? You can't stop loving someone in a few months and I would never have expected that of you. You're going to get through this, Charlotte."

"I am going to get through this." I balled my hands into fists and kept them covering my eyes. I heard Steve get up and come over to me. I took my hands away from my eyes and quickly engulfed Steve in a hug. The fingers of one hand curled into his shirt and the other grabbed at the back of his neck. I wanted to stay like that for the rest of the afternoon but duty calls.

The rest of the day went by fast. Unfortunately, there was an Avengers only meeting at the end of the day that had to do with Loki (and probably, to a lesser extent, me) so Loki and I had to ride home together. I was grateful when he didn't talk to me in the elevator on the way down. There were cameras everywhere in headquarters and the last thing I needed was some newbie going over footage of Loki antagonizing me.

"How was your first day?" I asked as I turned on my Jeep. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Loki turn to me with a look of disgust on his face. "No one welcomed you with open arms? Imagine that."

"What is wrong with you?" Loki demanded. I laughed.

"What's wrong with _me_? Oh, that is too good." Loki only raised one of his eyebrows. I'd never managed that before. How could you raise one eyebrow without raising the other? Whatever. Stop staring at him. Look back at road.

"Dare I say it has something to do with me?"

"Well, there you would be mistaken because it has everything to do with my new partner." I couldn't give Loki the satisfaction of knowing he was driving a wedge between Steve and I. I really didn't need that right now. "Besides, I really don't think we need to be talking about me. How are you doing with all this? It can't be much fun."

"I do not exactly have a choice, do I?"

"No, I suppose you don't. But it'll get better. Once everyone gets used to you and you get the hang of things here, it will be different. And yes, maybe I shouldn't take out my anger on you. So I'm sorry. I'm having to deal with a lot right now and that's not making your situation here better. I do owe you, I guess." I would never get over the fact that Loki had prevented me from falling to my death. That had shown me that Loki hadn't really tricked me. So yes, I owed him.

"Then answer me a question." I nodded. "Can you still see a person's memory when you come in contact with their skin?" I hadn't given that much thought lately, probably due to the fact that it just really didn't matter. Bruce had told me it would fade and really, it had.

"I don't think so," I replied. It had to be gone because when someone touched another person as much as I do, there was no way that the power wouldn't overwhelm me. Just a few hours ago, I'd touched the back of Steve's neck and got nothing. I would kiss him and get nothing. And I wasn't trying to block out the memories either. If anything, with Steve, I wanted to see them. I wanted to know anything and everything about dealing with Bucky without having to ask Steve about it.

"I suppose that is a good thing, is it not?" I nodded again.

"I guess so. It was sort of annoying. Besides, I don't think anyone wants someone to see anything that private." Based on the look on Loki's face, I would say that was right. I had seen more invasive memories of Loki than I had of anyone else. "I've tried lately, to see if I can pull anything from Steve but there's been nothing. I think it's really gone."

I pulled into the parking garage under Stark Tower and walked with Loki to the elevator silently. "I must say, I'm proud of you for not trying anything today," I said when we reached the floor with Tony, Bruce, and I's apartment. I didn't see any reason to prevent Loki from hanging out with us, especially if he was going to behave.

"It was difficult not to, particularly when I was strapped to the table," he responded. I laughed.

"Now you know how I felt, having to sit there listening to boring lectures and getting dirty looks from people. Man, you have got a lot to look forward to." He laughed back.

"I may try a few things tomorrow."

"Hey, as long as they don't involve blowing the place up, I'm okay with it. I need a good laugh at the expense of others."

I opened the door and walked in with Loki. I went to lounge on the couch in front of the TV. Hadn't I earned that? Right before I plopped down, Loki interrupted me.

"Can I touch you?" he asked. I gave him my best WTF face. "To see if you can see my memories?" I knew I should say no but the temptation was overwhelming. Loki's memories had been the most potent and touching his skin was almost like a drug.

"I don't see why not," I responded.

I raised my hands in front of me, spreading the fingers. I just wanted us to touch hands, like a light high-five. Loki moved toward me and I felt my heart pound when he looked down at me. He raised his hands and extended his fingers to meet mine before touching our palms. I felt a chill but that was it. For Loki's sake, I actually tried to pull something from it but I couldn't force it. I'd never been able to.

I shook my head while staring at our hands. His hands were so much larger than mine and probably even smoother. Loki moved his fingers through mine and linked our hands. I wanted to resist but I responded to it, folding my fingers over his. I closed my eyes and focused. No, there was nothing. I dropped my hands and shrugged.

"Not a damn thing," I said. Loki nodded, almost pursing his thin lips. He turned when I sat down on the couch and seemed to walk into the kitchen. He looked a little lost and I clenched my hands into fists. I was too strong to fall for this. It was a ploy. He wanted me to feel sorry for him. He wanted me to ask him to hang out. I groaned. "Do you wanna watch Jeopardy with me or something?" Loki turned on his heels and he began smiling.

"What is Jeopardy?" he asked, walking over to the couch. I felt my heart jump when Loki sat on the middle cushion. He was almost close enough for me to smell.

"It's a trivia game where you have to answer everything with a question," I said, throwing off my heels and curling my legs underneath me. I turned on the TV. "It comes on every weekday at 7:30. There are three players and there are three rounds. The first two rounds have six categories with five questions each and the last round is a single category with a single question. It is hilariously fun."

Loki nodded. "I can try it."

"Yeah, 'try' is the right word because it is not easy."

I played with him and actually managed to answer more questions correctly than Loki did. I ended the game laughing and almost falling off the couch.

"Who exactly is Tommy Hill-fager?" Loki asked. I starting laughing all over again.

"Hilfiger! Tommy Hilfiger! He's an American clothes designer."

"Well, he has a stupid name."

"So do you," I said back. Loki began laughing then. The pressures of the day lifted off me and I felt like everything that had happened didn't matter much if I got to enjoy myself like this every day.

The door to the apartment opened, revealing Bruce, Tony, and Thor, so I shut my trap and tried to quit laughing. Loki was funny because he wasn't exactly trying to be. Besides, he'd always been hilarious when he was trying to deal with stuff on Earth.

"I guess you two have been having fun," said Tony.

"No, not really," I responded. "Haven't you heard? It's a crime for me to have fun."

"Yeah, it's starting to sound like it."

Thor walked around the two of them and moved to come sit beside Loki. Loki clammed up when Thor sat down and moved closer to me. I felt his leg brush my feet. "What's wrong?" I mouthed at Loki. He only shook his head. I guess bonding over defeating the elves hadn't solved the brotherly problems.

"Actually, can we speak with Charlotte please?" asked Bruce. "Alone?" Thor nodded and stood to leave. Loki brushed his hand against my leg and I think it meant that he was trying to comfort me with it before leaving.

"What's up?" I asked when they left.

"Nothing really," said Tony. "We were wondering if you could tell us what's up with you." I rolled my eyes.

"What do you think is up with me? Steve may be on the brink of breaking up with me, even though he says he isn't, and I have to hang out with Loki."

"Well, the Steve situation can be repaired by not cozying up to Loki like you were when we came in." My jaw dropped.

"He needs a friend, I owe him, and besides, you made it very clear that Loki is me and Thor's problem. It's not a crime that we watch TV together."

"No but you shouldn't be enjoying it as much. How do you think anyone else would've felt if they'd walked in on this?"

"You know what, Tony, I actually don't care. I've already had one lecture today and that was more than enough."

"Tony, she's right," said Bruce, cutting Tony off before he started talking again. "We just wanted you to know that you can talk to us about what's going on."

"Thanks," I responded.

The next few days went without much of a hitch. Loki found ways to bug everyone without them knowing how; except when he dyed the coffee green. Everyone knew how that had happened. I had laughed harder at the coffee dyeing Coulson's teeth green than I had laughed in months.

Bucky and I were slowly getting more comfortable around one another, probably due to fear of Steve. We were due for another fight soon and I had beaten Bucky at archery again. Beating him was like Christmas morning for me.

Steve had been normal for the past week so I figured that everything was totally taken care of. I didn't have any reason to worry, right?

I was sitting in my cubicle, writing up a couple of files for Maria Hill, when Steve walked up. I didn't find that odd because when I was in my cube, Steve normally came by for a while. When Clint and Natasha followed him, along with Fury and Bruce, I got confused.

"Hey, uh, what's going on?" I asked as the rest of the Avengers, along with Bucky and Loki surrounded my desk.

"Who's authorized to be looking at the scepter today?" asked Fury. He seemed incredibly serious and when he stared over at Loki, I figured it was important. Everyone else seemed on edge. Had there been a meeting I didn't know about? Had they been watching surveillance footage without me?

"If I'm not mistaken, no one," I said. I started typing and pulling up info on the scepter. "No one has had any interest in it in a couple of months. We can't pull any info out and we can't take it apart. Besides, it has weird effects on people so it's been in a room quarantined from the rest of the facility. Is someone down there?"

"We're wondering if something is fishy," said Steve. "Someone reported that Agent Mills and a few other guys were looking at it. We didn't think it was odd until we thought about it. No one has been down there in months." I shook my head at him and slammed a few keys to bring up Mills' file.

"It's weird enough that someone would be down there at all but Mills?" I said. "Mills doesn't have that kind of authorization. He's not a scientist, he's not a field agent, he's barely a secretary."

"I don't think it's anything to worry about," said Clint. "Everyone's been curious about it. These guys just wanna see if it makes them wanna pick it up."

"That's why it's quarantined, Clint," I said. "It will. It's dangerous."

"We're crowded around you because we're wondering if you know of anyone that wants it," said Natasha. I wracked my brain and shook my head.

"I can see why you'd be concerned but honestly, no. No one even knows we have it and even if they did, would they know what it was?"

"Well, we're thinking someone is getting them to do their dirty work for them," said Bucky. I watched him give Loki a look.

"Hey, he's basically on parole. We have no proof that Loki would do anything. Besides, Odin would throw a fit."

"You may not believe me but I have no part in this," said Loki. I believed him and when everyone took off their blinders, they'd believe him too.

"Can I pull up surveillance?" I asked. Fury gave me the go ahead. I watched as Mills and a couple of other lower agents surrounded the scepter. "How long have they been in there?"

"Twenty minutes. Maybe more," said Bruce. I nodded.

I didn't see anything unusual until Mills turned. His eyes connected with the camera and I jumped.

"What is it?" asked Steve.

"This is weird, really weird," I said. I made the video freeze and I zoomed in. "Do you see Mills' eyes? He's got really blue eyes… unnaturally blue eyes, really. But Mills has brown eyes. It says it right there in his file." When one of the other guys turned around, he had the same thing; tesseract-y blue eyes.

Fury raised a walkie to his mouth. "Everyone needs to treat this as a break in. Get down there and secure the scepter now."

Almost on cue, Mills and the group of guys grabbed the scepter and high-tailed it out of there. "They're gone," I said. "They're moving."

Being close to the garage had given them the chance they needed. They were out of the building with the scepter on the back of S.H.I.E.L.D. motorcycles. I looked around in horror. "What the hell?" I said.

"I need someone in pursuit," said Fury. "Barnes, Kent, it's time to show us what you got."

I looked over at Bucky and he nodded. We both took off running.


End file.
